Beneath an Amber Sky
by Glaicien Warrior
Summary: COMPLETE! -Part 2 of the "Sands of Destiny" trilogy- 100 years later, spells are broken and our heroes roam once again. Runs through Twilight Princess. Slight spoilers!
1. Chapter 1

Beneath an Amber Sky

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PLEASE read "Sands of Destiny" FIRST! Otherwise, you won't know what's going on.

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The sun rose cheerily over the hilltops and warmed the beautiful land of Hyrule. A boy lay under a tree with his arms placed comfortably behind his head. He placidly chewed on a piece of wheat that he'd snatched from nearby the pasture, and dreamed of the world outside of Ordon village. The clouds drifted by, watching everything that happened below them, and he found himself wishing that he were a bird so he could see for himself what it was like to fly and watch everything below him. His thoughts were interrupted by a shadow that cast itself across his face.

"Link, there's a goat loose in the village! I don't suppose-oh no. You were daydreaming again, weren't you? What about, dare I ask? How about becoming one of Hyrule's castle guards, hm? Or perhaps you were just thinking of all the stuck-up nobles that roam outside our village." His friend, Fado, scoffed. "The lot of them, too pompous and rich to pay us the right price for the trading they so desperately need from us." He shook his head.

Link pulled the wheat blade out of his mouth with a grin and picked himself up, brushing the dirt from his pant legs. "No, I was actually daydreaming about how amusing it would be if all of those goats escaped into the village and you had only yourself to round them all up." Fado rubbed his nose.

"Funny, Link. Haha. Will you go round it up, please?"

"Alright, Fado...since you asked so nicely." He said with a laugh. Fado gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Bring Epona too, alright?" He said as he turned away, walking towards the ranch. Link nodded absentmindedly...thinking about the dreams he's been having. He had dreams about adventuring, and about a girl with silver hair. They seemed so real...real enough that they seemed like memories, rather than plain dreams.

Three years ago, he was found on the ground outside of the village. No one knows how he got there, but the villagers took him in as if he were ordonian. He has no memory of what had happened before he arrived, or who he was. For all he knew, he was born and raised in that village, and he sighed as he thought that this may be the only village he every sees. Epona was a strong cart-horse, and Link was the only human she ever listened to. He patted her neck softly and spoke to her as he climbed up on her back and led her out of the pasture and down the slope to the village. A heavily-built man greeted him as he rode up to the first house that hugged the hill. The mayor, burly as he was, treated Link like a son and cared for him just as much.

Link led Epona up the hillside and through the gate of the Ordon ranch. The ranch pasture was quite large, dotted with many of the ordon goats.

Fado greeted him as they trotted over, "Hey, Link! Could you round 'em up for me? They ain't listening to me lately!" Link nodded and spurred Epona into a gallop. They galloped around the pasture, spurring each and every goat into the barn at the front. He accomplished this task with great speed, finishing by urging Epona to rear up on her hind legs.

He laughed heartily as they trotted back over to his friend. "If that isn't a record speed, then I don't know what is!" Fado nodded quick and walked along side Epona.

"You've just got a way with animals, I think. Nobody else is, or was for that matter, able to round up the goats that fast! Thanks a lot, Link. You saved me from a hard time there. I think you can head home early today!" Link smiled to himself.

"Will do, Fado. Thanks!" He spurred Epona on again, holding tight as she jumped the pasture fence and galloped back into the village. A girl ran up to them and Link suddenly found that he wasn't looking as good as he ought to be. He tried to get the grass out of his hair and the mud off of his sandals before she got too close.

"Hello, Link!" She smiled at him then greeted Epona.

"Hey, Ilia!" he said with a grin.

"How are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing great! Lately, I've been having these weird dreams, and..." his words were cut off as the Mayor greeted them. He dismounted Epona when he motioned for him to come chat. He spoke to him about a delivery that was to be made to Hyrule Castle, however, an vocal explosion from Ilia's direction distracted the two.

"She's hurt!! How hard did you push her today?! You push her much too hard, she does all the work and you none! You've injured Epona for the last time, Link!" She led the horse off in the direction of the healing spring, while Link and Mayor Bo sat there in silence.

"Whoo-boy. I know she's my daughter and all, but that girl has her mother's temper...We'll, uh, talk more about that delivery later, okay m'boy?" The Mayor trumped off as Link felt like he'd been torn apart. He too trudged off after Ilia, muttering to himself.

"Great impression to leave, Link. What a fool you are for not looking after Epona more..."

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The cool crisp air blew through the sandy Kakariko village. The wind picked up ever so slightly in the presence of a certain woman. She was Lear. As she gazed at the pond of water next to the Shaman's home, Luda, the daughter of the Shaman, greeted her.

"Good morning Lear! Did you sleep well?" Luda asked.

"Quite, however, I had a very strange dream last night." Lear said to her, remembering how familiar the dream was to her. It was only a year ago for her, that she had awoken without her memories. She was aware of her powers, and that she could hear the voices of the wind and water.

Luda sat next to her and smiled. "Well, what was it about this time?" Lear placed her head on the heel of one of her hands, letting the other play with the water in the pool.

"A boy. His face was so familiar, yet I've never met him before. There was darkness, too...and fire." Her brow furrowed. "I don't understand them, and yet I have these dreams so often." She noticed Luda's worried gaze. Lear mentally punished herself for letting Luda worry about her. "Well, they probably mean nothing...I've just had too much influence from the storytelling around the fire at night." She gave her little friend a huge grin and hoped her eyes didn't betray the way she was really feeling. Luda smiled again.

"Are you going to tell another one tonight? You tell such wonderful stories!" Lear laughed and shook her head.

"We'll see. C'mon, let's get out of the sun!"

"Okay!" Luda said as she hopped to her feet. Lear followed her to the house of the Shaman. Before entering, she took the moment to watch the villagers actively go about the village. They often greeted each other; they were very peaceful. As she entered through the door, Renado the shaman greeted her with a smile.

"Ah, Lear. Been having more of those strange dreams? Tell me, what did you dream of?" He asked. Lear bit her lip, not really wanting to talk about it...at least not now. However, Renado was a very wise man. Maybe he could interpret the dream?

"Well, I dreamed of a boy in green...and there was a lot of darkness and fire all around..." Lear sat down in a chair, a thoughtful gaze graced her features.

"And...well, there were these two people talking to me. One was a girl, her face was wise but young at the same time, and the other a man, who looked strong but gentle. They said that when darkness covered the land, I would be able to roam about it..." She finished while staring at the floor, feeling confused and yet so full of hope. Renado nodded his head slowly and thoughtfully placed his hand under his chin.

"It will take time to interpret such a dream, Lear. Perhaps more signs will come along the way to help you understand." This did little to brighten Lear's mood, but she nodded politely and thanked him as she walked out of the hut to think to herself.

She went to resume her earlier activity, sitting by the spring, but stopped as the wind began to speak to her. It beckoned her to come away from the village, into a secluded place behind the spring. It was a powerful message, almost like a command. She hesitated at first, but in the end, she followed the strange voice into a cave behind the spring.

When she stepped into the cave, she saw the people from her dream standing before her. She felt afraid at first and nearly turned to run when she realized they were smiling, as if they'd just finished telling a good joke. They seemed so natural. The woman turned to her and spoke with the voice of the wind.

"Lear, I am the Sage of Wind. This is the Sage of Water," here she turned and placed a hand on the grinning man's shoulder, "and we're here to tell you of your destiny. You've been good to listen and learn from us for so long, and we want to help you the best you can along your quest." As she said this, Lear felt her head swim and she had to grab the rock wall to keep from swaying. The woman's words seemed far away as she had memories, sweet memories flood her mind.

The memories of her childhood flooded through her, helping her remember her little sister. Just as soon as those memories passed through her mind, the memories of her life...her adventures...her enemies...her family...Link. She felt dizzy from this, but as soon as it passed, she stood up straight and looked towards the two sages. The woman's voice spoke to her again.

"We apologize for returning your memories to you in such a timely manner...but..."

"Such important things, are your memories. Without them you will not know of your destiny." the man finished. Lear recognized the man's voice, surely it was the voice of the water. She nodded, and opened her mouth to ask them all the questions she had on her mind, but the woman spoke again.

"Lear...we need to grant you one last thing before you're ready to help Link." Lear felt her heart beat fast at the mention of his name. Does he remember her too?

"The darkness that is covering the land is called Twilight, and any human who is found in this darkness turns into a spirit. However, they do not know they are a spirit, nor the fact that Twilight has overtaken them. The only way for you to be able to travel the Twilight is as an animal..." Lear looked from Wind to Water in a numb shock.

"The animal you become depends on who you are inside. Be careful of your instincts, and always remember that you are really a human!" As the water sage spoke, Lear felt pain all over.

The pain was intense, more so than any she'd ever experienced before. She tried to yell, but a rough growl came out of her mouth. She collapsed to the ground and closed her eyes, trying hard to keep the pain at bay. The Sages spoke again and she had a faint thought that they must have walked towards her, for she could hear them louder and clearer.

"It hurts at first, but after a while you'll be able to transform with merely a thought in your head. Now even though you may need to get used to your new body for a while, we have to urge you to find Link! We have a friend here who may be able to help you in this..." Lear heard a twinkling sound and her name being shouted, but she dared not open her eyes.

"Water and I will transport you to a spot outside of the village where Link now lives. Twilight is soon to cover that land. Find him quickly! Good luck, Lear!"

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A/N: Thanks for reading!! Please review!!

This story is written by two people, and we hope that you'll stay tuned!


	2. Chapter 2

When Lear finally opened her eyes, she saw grassy plains of Hyrule field. Once again, she heard a twinkling sound and quickly turned her head in its direction. Her old friend, Navi fluttered before her eyes.

"Lear! Would you look at yourself? You're a wolf!" Navi said as she darted around Lear's head. Lear's eyes widened as she looked down at her paws. She had become a magnificent white beast. Her fur shimmered in the sun as her glaicien marking, still present on her forehead, seemed to glow. She attempted to take a few steps in her new body but fell forward onto her nose, letting out a frustrated growl.

"Looks like you've got work to do! You can't find Link if you can't even control yourself!" Navi said with a laugh.

After several attempts to stand up, Lear stood quite still on her four legs. Navi fluttered about her head.

"C'mon, try again! Take little steps, remember to coordinate your legs, and try to follow me!" She bounced ahead several feet. Lear took time to think about which leg to move, inching along until she reached Navi. Navi flew forward again, and Lear practicing walking. They went on like this for some time until she felt comfortable and could walk with ease. Navi flew near her ear, making it twitch irritably.

"Up ahead is where Link lives now. Let's go find him, now that you can walk!" As they traveled down the country path, Lear was amazed at what she now was. Every sense was heightened with extreme detail. Her vision picked up every color, every movement, while her nose caught so many new and strong scents that she nearly became dizzy. Her hearing was incredible; she could hear a bug moving on a grass blade or a mouse as it moved underground. She soon found that it was almost fun and she felt her tail wag behind her as she walked along. Feeling confident on her new legs, she started to trot and then broke into a run.

She followed Navi with confidence, knowing that she had full control of her legs. The sun was beginning to set, aiding the twilight in its creep towards their destination. Navi shined brilliantly, excited to find Link after so many long years. They crossed a long bridge into an area surrounded with trees. 'The village must be just ahead!' Lear thought to herself. Suddenly, Navi stopped, signaling for Lear to stop.

"Lear, someone's coming! Hurry! We must hide!" she said to her. Lear found a bush and huddled up inside it, Navi sat on her head.

Something was running down from the village, and they were quite far away but sounded as if they were close. Once again, Lear found herself falling in love with her new form, and she grinned. All that happened, though, was her tongue lolling out of her long muzzle. She was putting her tongue back in her mouth when she caught strong scents on the breeze. Water, horse, human...all of them drifted to her. She turned her eyes to see who had been running from the village and her heart nearly stopped. Link was running towards the place that she could smell, and he slowed as he neared the healing spring. She nearly got up to run towards him, but Navi flew to her ear.

"No! He won't recognize you or remember you if he could! Stay where you are; in his village, wolves are killed without hesitation."

Lear whined a little, sitting back down into her hiding place. Oh how she wanted to hear his voice!

"Good, just stay here. Link is bound to walk by again! Don't make any sudden movements." Navi said in her ear. Lear continued to pay attention to what she could smell...but what alerted her, was a new smell. It didn't smell pleasant, and it made her growl. Just then, the ground began to shake. When she turned her head, she saw many boblins on boars stampeding through the area. Just as she was about to jump from hiding, as a natural instinct to fight, Navi flew in her face.

"No! Those guys will crush you! Just stay until they leave!"

Lear snarled, but gathered all her willpower together to stay hidden. Turning her large head to see, she watched in fierce anger as the monsters attacked the group. They shot down a girl, and Link turned to help her. Lear barked loudly as a Boblin rode up behind him and struck him on the head with a massive club. He fell unconscious into the spring, and the monsters hauled the others as captives. The largest Boblin looked around the spring. He drew a trumpet out and blew it loudly. A strange light fell upon the earth as they rode off in a trample.

Lear finally emerged from her hiding place. She could sense the strangeness in the air after the boblins had left...and she felt like something had just begun to watch her. Navi's light dimmed slightly in the strange light, and it made her feel sick. She landed herself on Lear's back, causing her to turn her head.

"Lear...all of a sudden I don't feel to great...you don't mind me resting on your back, do you?" she asked wearily. Lear shook her head. The strange presence was really beginning to get on Lear's nerves. She knew someone was watching, but where were they?

She trotted down to the spring to try and wake Link, when something hit her hard on the muzzle. She yelped and quickly turned with a snarl to see what had hit her when she stopped and pricked her ears up. A girl, at least, it looked like a girl, was floating before her with an angry expression on her face. She looked like a nymph, but strangely like a child also. She wore a helmet across half of her face, and it arched up over her head. Her hair, or what should have been her hair, was shaped into a hand and looked as if it would smack Lear on the muzzle again. When she spoke, it sounded like no language Lear had ever heard, but she was amazed to find that she could understand it.

"Don't you touch him," her high-pitched voice warned, "or you'll earn yourself another slap!"

Lear growled out an equally similar threat. "If you get anywhere near him, I'll tear you to shreds!" The nymph-girl emitted a shrill laugh.

"You can barely run in such a body, and that's a hollow threat!" Lear didn't care that the girl could understand her animal-speech, and she didn't care for her attitude either. She opened her muzzle to say something else but stopped as Link stirred.

The girl disappeared, just as quickly as she appeared, leaving Lear to panic. She quickly found a hiding spot behind another bush and watched him wake up. Link sat up slowly with his hand on his forehead.

"...ugh...that son-of-a..." he said but didn't finish. His head shot up in realization that his friends had been taken. He got up quickly and cursed under his breath as he ran out of the spring. Lear followed him out of the spring; he was headed away from the village. She knew that he was far too slow on human legs, so she ran ahead of him; of course, she ran through the trees so that she wouldn't be seen. After crossing the bridge, she ran into a black wall. It was a thick wall of twilight, however she didn't get the chance to really look at it. Some sort of large hand pulled her through the wall and into the twilight.

She emerged into the world of Twilight and shook her head. Navi yelled and sprang from her back as Lear raised her muzzle to face a large black monster. It swung it's arms to catch her, but she dashed under it's legs and ran for cover. Catching her breath, she heard that same high-pitched laugh that came from that girl.

"Bit of a coward, aren't you? Aren't wolves supposed to install fear in others instead of running with their tales between their legs?"

Lear snapped her muzzle together warningly. "You watch your mouth or you may find that my jaws work better than my walking!" The girl cackled at this and then grew quiet and watched the wall of Twilight.

"Quiet! Here he comes..."

Link fell through the wall of twilight; in an instant, the shadow beast grabbed him by his neck and lifted him off the ground. Link kicked and fought back, grabbing the creature's wrist. He struggled until his left hand glowed brightly, scaring the beast into letting him go. As he fell to the ground, he tried taking a few steps, but he fell onto his hands and knees and screamed in pain. Lear winced as she watched him scream. She wanted to run over to him to help, but there was no way he would accept help from a wolf! Link transformed into a divine beast, a wolf. He fainted from the pain it caused him, allowing the shadow beast to approach him again.

It grabbed him by his back leg and began to drag him away, his head and claws catching on the ground. Lear leaped forward to attack the monster, but the nymph-girl's hair turned into a hand again and shoved her hard, sending her rolling backwards.

"No! You stay. STAY." Lear shook her head and tried to clear it, then turned and bared her teeth at the girl.

"Good dog!" The nymph smirked as she flew off to follow the monster and wolf-Link. Navi darted ahead.

"Link's in trouble, Lear! Hurry!" Lear put her trust in her new body and sprinted off after the strange girl, the black monster, and the wolf-Link.


	3. Chapter 3

Link awoke to a painful start. He was in a dungeon cell, and his paw was chained to the floor...wait, a paw? Link looked at himself in complete shock to find that he was no longer human. He gnawed at the chains in frustration, trying to break away. A voice cackled at him in the darkness.

"Who's there?" Link's wolf voice growled.

A strange impish-girl suddenly appeared, floating before him and laughing at his frustration.

"Go on, try again! Though, if you go on much longer like that, you won't have any teeth left!" She chuckled again and sat in the air, eyeing him with amusement. Link blinked and felt his ears turn back.

"Who are you?" She was suddenly by his head, turning in the air. He leaped back a little and snarled. She spoke again with her strange speech, wearing a not-so-pleasant smile.

"My name is Midna, and I bet you'd like to get out of this dungeon, right? Well if you be a good dog and listen to me, I can get you out of here." Link watched warily as she formed a shadow in her hand and shot at the chains. They broke free from the ground and although his paw still had the heavy metal bracelet around it he was thankful to be free.

"Find your way out of that prison, I'm not going to help you do everything!" The girl said while laying down in the air, rolling her eyes. He sniffed around and found a way out, digging himself under a weak point in the door. He was feeling quite accomplished when he felt something heavy hit his back, knocking the air out of him. Growling, Midna laughed atop his back as he spun in circles, trying to knock her off.

He stopped as Midna grabbed his ear. "Now, since I'm going to help you get out of here, you have to do whatever I say! Understand?" She said to him, tugging his ear. He growled in submission and she let go.

"Good little wolf! Now..." she trailed off as she heard a howl somewhere in the dungeon. It sounded like the howl fell a large distance and landed quite painfully on the ground.

Midna cackled, "Ehehehee! It looks like we've got company!" she said as a white wolf hobbled over to them. Link cocked his head to the side as he looked at her, she seemed familiar in some way...

"What? Don't growl at me! It's not _my_ fault you hurt yourself!" Midna said.

"You little hag! Run off and leave me along in this-" The white wolf stopped talking and stared at Link. His ears went back and Midna smiled unpleasantly to herself. Navi shot up from behind Lear's head and darted over to Link.

"It's great to see you even if you are a wolf. But I bet you're having an easier time than Lear at getting used to it!" Midna rolled her eyes as Link looked past the bobbing light to see the white wolf.

"Lear," it said, "That's me." Link was confused, but Midna tugged on his ears again.

"Not that all this small chat is riveting and all, but we have a job to do." She kicked his sides and pointed to the end of the dungeon. "We'll catch you two later!"

Lear chased after them. "Oh no you don't! I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not!" she growled. Midna kicked Link's sides again, telling him to run faster. Lear wouldn't have it; she jumped in front of them and Link stopped running. Midna rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Fine. Whatever! You're just a pathetic little wolf, so don't come whining to me whenever you hurt yourself!" Link was about to speak when Midna kicked his sides again. Lear and Navi followed suit, they weren't planning on losing sight of Link, not after what they went through to find him!

All four of them raced through the dungeons, listening to Midna's instructions and directions. Running along one of the passages, Lear stopped and barked at the others. Link backtracked and stared at a glowing light hovering about. "It's a spirit," Midna explained, "Because in the Twilight-" Here Lear interrupted. "-Humans turn to spirits and don't even realize it." Midna glared atop Link's back.

"Smart little doggie...Well, if you think you know so much, tell me how you see them as a wolf like yourself?" Lear had no answer to this and she looked away as Midna nodded. "That's what I thought...Listen up, little wolves. You can use your Sense vision to see things that might not otherwise be seen. Just concentrate and try it."

Lear concentrated and focused her senses, when she opened her eyes, she saw a Hyrule Castle guard. He was quivering and holding his spear close to his body. Lear looked towards Link, "Do you see him?", he nodded. He was shy, and only looked at her in confusion. Midna rolled her eyes.

"Okay, now that you've discovered your new abilities, keep moving along!" she yelled. Lear growled when Midna kicked Link's sides again. _'Surely Link will be back to his old self once he regains his memories...' _Lear thought to herself. _'He wouldn't normally let someone treat him like this!'_

They traveled along, once in a while running into a large Twilight rat or another spirit. Lear ran in silence and tries to sort through her muddled thoughts. Link did as Midna told him in hopes of getting out of the dungeon and becoming human again. When they finally reached the end of the twisting passages, they were all ready to leave the strange world that they found themselves in.

"Hold it!" Midna shouted as they ran along the rooftops outside. "There's somebody that I want you to meet. Try and get to the window in that tower over there, and hurry up with it!" Both Link and Lear were nervous to be running along at such heights in their new bodies, but they scaled the walls and jumped to the window. They ran up the tower stairs and Link pushed against the heavy door at the top.

They cautiously walked into the room. The moment they saw a cloaked-figure standing by the window, the two wolves growled. Midna chuckled slightly as the person turned around. She looked at them in shock.

"M-midna? You've returned! Is this the one you told me about?" a delicate voice spoke.

"Ehehee! You remembered my name! What an honor!" Midna taunted. She floated in the air, looking as if she were laying down. "This is Link...and this annoying little wolf..." Lear growled. "...is Lear. Nothing but little wolves! I do believe you owe him an explanation..._twilight princess." _she grinned. Link cocked his head to the side as Lear looked at the person attentively.

The figure sighed and nodded. "Yes, Midna...you're right. Link and Lear, we both need your help..." She told them of how Hyrule was being shrouded by the Twilight, and the causes of which were because of the King that rules the Twilight. He had attacked the castle and the Princess Zelda. Though Zelda and her army tried valiantly to defend their kingdom, they had no choice but to allow him to overrun the castle and turn Hyrule to Twilight.

"I am Princess Zelda." The princess said, removing her hood. "I am hiding here from the shadow beasts that are hunting me. Please, dear heroes, please return Hyrule to the light!"

Lear nodded with confidence, knowing fully of what was to come. Link however, nodded, yet he was still unsure. He thought he was merely a ranch-hand, not a hero. Zelda turned to Midna.

"Midna, please be careful. The King that rules the twilight...he's searching for you. Why is he?" Midna only turned away and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, you tell me!" Navi was silent during this, she looked at the Princess, then back to the wolves. "Dear heroes, you must leave! The guard will be making his rounds shortly." Zelda said as she stood up. They left the room quickly, leaving the princess to worry about what was to come.

They left the tower and walked for a while in silence along the rooftops of the once bright Hyrule Castle. Midna flew in front of them and folded her arms. "So...now you know what threatens Hyrule, will you help? Ah...but little Link just wants to be a human again!" She cackled as Link's ears went back. Lear turned to him. "You don't want to help?" He scratched at the ground with his claws and avoided Midna's eyes.

"I do, but...well, what can I do, especially like this? I'm just a farm-boy, not a hero. I just want to be a human again and get back to my ordinary life." Lear felt her own ears flick back and sat on her haunches. Midna, however, spoke with a tinge of anger in her voice.

"You've always dreamed of seeing the world, haven't you? Well, here's your chance! And right now the only way to save your friends is by listening to me!" Here she turned in a circle and changed into the horrified forms of the kids that Link had been with when he was attacked. His eyes widened.

"Colin, Ilia! You know where they're at?!" Lear felt a twinge of jealousy, but Navi distracted her by bouncing on her nose. Midna cackled.

"There's a good wolf! We can find them together, but you must first help me!"

Both Link and Lear hesitantly nodded, not knowing exactly what they were agreeing to help her with. Midna cackled again. "Are you ready to return to your regular world?" Before they could answer, all four of them disintegrated into twilight particles. They reappeared in the Ordon spring, back into regular light. Midna's cackle rang in the area, but remained hidden in shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

Link looked at his paws again and breathed out a little sigh. He was still a wolf. Lear, however, stretched comfortably and yawned as Midna's voice surrounded them.

"Find yourself a shield and sword, Mr. Hero. Then we'll talk business! Why don't you take this opportunity to explore your dear little village in this form?" Link growled.

"I don't want to be in this form!" He turned and began to run towards Ordon village, leaving Lear to follow with a glum expression.

"Y'know," She said, catching up to him, "It's really not that bad. I kind of like this more than being a human." When he shot her a look, her ears went back and she shut her jaws. As they neared Link's house outside the village, a strange smell drifted to their noses. Lear snarled. "That's the smell of those creatures that attacked you!"

Link skidded to a stop and scrutinized her. "Attacked me, how did you know about that?" Navi flew in between their muzzles.

"It's a Boblin warrior! Defeat them, you two, and then we can enter the village!" Lear wasted no time in turning towards the monsters and sprinted at them full speed. She hoped Link was following, as there was more than one Boblin walking amongst the trees. She leaped at the nearest one and snapped her jaws back and forth, making short work of the monster.

The taste of the Boblin in her mouth was foul. Her wolf instinct had taken over, and she ripped and bit at her enemy. When it finally went down, she looked over at Link. He too, fought just as she did. She smiled; he didn't realize it, but he still had his fighting spirit from so long ago! Navi praised them when they had defeated the group of boblins.

"Great work you guys! It looks like you're getting the hang of fighting as wolves!" Link only snorted in reply. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at Lear.

"...follow me. But keep quiet! If we get caught, the villagers will kill us..." He started forward in a trot, leading the way towards his village. The village was dark, and it had the air of sadness shrouded over it.

A squeaky voice made Lear turn around and call to Link. A squirrel sat staring at them, a wide grin across his chubby cheeks.

"Thanks for taking care of those bad guys! A little hint; use your senses in the village to find your way into the human den's, they almost all contain good food and something interesting. But don't get caught!" At this, he nodded his little head and took off running. They turned back towards the village as Lear turned to Link.

"So, I guess we can talk to all animals this way, huh? This could get interesting..." Link had a thought in his mind.

"You...you weren't always a wolf, were you?" This caught Lear off guard and she tripped over her paws.

"Um...no, actually...I'm human." she said as she regained her footing. Link pondered this for a few moments. The marking on her forehead was the same as the marking the girl had in his dreams..._'Could she be that girl?' _he thought to himself. However, he brushed the thought aside as they approached one of the homes. Lear looked at their surroundings, she had no idea where they could find a sword and shield! She would just have to rely on Link...

"So...do you have any idea which houses we're supposed to sneak into?" she asked hesitantly.

He furrowed his brows the best he could as a wolf. "Hmm...let's take a look around. Hey! There's a cucco over there, he might know something of use." Navi plopped back down as they sneakily made their way over to the bird. It cocked it's head and clucked at them.

"So you're not going to eat me then? Oh wonderful. I had hoped that I wouldn't become a meal today." It began to walk in the opposite direction when Link stopped it.

"Wait! Do you know of where-" The cucco interrupted him, looking at him sideways.

"-Of where you could find the human children? They've been stolen. There was a ruckus with some monsters...and the humans fought...but the monsters took the children away in the end. Good thing too, because I was getting bored of them throwing rocks at me all the time."

Hearing such a thing created worry for both wolves. Even though Lear didn't know the children, she wanted to help all she could to save them. After all, Link had helped her with her sister in the past; this would be Lear's chance to help him in return!

"Link, we should hurry! I want to help you find them!" she said. Link looked at her with gratitude.

"Thank you...now, let's find that sword and shield!" with that, he started towards a bridge, crossing it slowly so as to not draw attention to himself. Some villagers were speaking in hushed voices, and so Link and Lear crept close, using their enhanced hearing to hear them speak.

The men Jaggle and Mayor Bo were speaking about the sword and shield.

"You know where they're at, right Jaggle?" The mayor looked concerned.

"Yes, of course. The shield here, and the sword in Rusl's house, correct? If any more monsters come around, we'll be ready to defend ourselves!" At that moment, the two men spotted the wolves and let out a yell of surprise. They ran into the house and locked the door, leaving the two canines to themselves. Link seemed upset at the villagers treating him like this, and Lear wanted to comfort him. She opened her mouth to say something when Midna's voice sounded from the shadows.

"What a pack of idiots! Well, now that we know where the items are, go find them! Hop to it!"

Lear rolled her eyes when she heard Midna's voice. _'humph! If she knows sooo much, then she should just get them herself!'_ Lear thought to herself, very annoyed. Link looked around, noticing an open window to a house they were supposed to enter.

"C'mon, follow me!" he said to Lear as he began to trot over to the watermill. Suddenly, a light was lit up on a ledge. A scrawny man with a torch and a hawk on his arm looked at them angrily.

"Y-you fiends! Bring back the children!" he yelled. The two wolves snarled at him.

"Link, I'll distract him! You go scare him off!" Lear said as she ran from the hawk that was now attacking her.

Link doubled back away from the angry hawk and growling Lear. He ran towards Sera's store, and ran straight into her cat. The cat gave him a disapproving look, but told him of the ledges he could jump to sneak up and scare Hanch. Link jumped up several rock ledges and leaped full speed at Hanch with an angry howl. The terrified villager fell backwards into the water below, and Lear watched in relief as the hawk abandoned her. Hanch smacked the water with his hands in frustration as Link looked down at him. Midna then appeared next to him.

"Don't get sentimental on me, little wolf. Follow my lead to jump up on the mill so we can enter that window." Link did as he was told, though with ears back and growl in his throat, and found himself inside Jaggle and Pergie's house.

Link scanned the room with his eyes until they fell upon the shield. It was an unfinished wooden shield, and it hung on the wall in the upper part of the home. Using the strength in his hind legs, he jumped up and onto the upper floor. Of course, the shield was much too high on the wall for him to reach, so he rammed the wall until it fell. Midna's voice rang in the house as he picked it up.

"Now, get yourself out of there and find that sword! The sooner the better, little wolf!" Link growled in annoyance and climbed out of the window. Lear stood up from her haunches when she saw Link make his way towards her. He only nodded to her and took the lead, carefully guiding the way towards Rusl's home.

As they approached the house, Navi rang out a warning. "There's two humans there! We can't enter from the front door..." Link nodded.

"Rusl and Uri...c'mon, let's go around the house. I remember they have a patch of soft ground somewhere near here." Lear followed and once again waited outside as he used his claws to dig himself into the house. He looked around the small home and found what he was looking for on the sofa. Picking up the sword with his jaws, he muttered through a full mouth to Midna.

"Okay, I've got everything. What now?" She appeared and cackled at him.

"Good dog! But next time, be faster! Let's make our way back to the spring." As Link dug himself out of the hut, he was shocked to find Lear snarling and barking at Rusl.

"Foul beast! Bring me back my children!!" He swung the torch and hit her square on the muzzle, causing her to yelp and run in the opposite direction. Rusl turned around and then spotted Link, and he raised his sword to the startled wolf.

Link dodged the sword as Rusl swung at him, running fast enough to catch up to Lear. They both ran as fast as their legs could carry them out of the village and to the spring. When they finally made it, they slowed to a stop and lay on the ground, panting for breath. Link looked over at Lear, who seemed to be in a little pain from the hit she took. Her muzzle had a small mark from the torch.

"Hey...Lear? I saw Rusl hit you...are you okay?" Lear rubbed her muzzle against her arm and looked back at Link.

"Yeah...I'm okay." Link opened his mouth to speak when Midna's voice spoke from the shadows.

"Oh good! The little wolf isn't complaining about getting herself hurt! Good dog! Now, you see that wall of Twilight? Your next task is to get through that wall."

They reluctantly picked themselves up and headed for the dark wall that lay before them. A large hand came through the wall and grabbed each wolf and pulled them through. Once on the other side, they found themselves face to face with Midna once again.

"Congratulations! You made it!" she mocked. She then promptly sat on Link's back. She put the shield on her face and swung the sword around, almost hitting Lear's face in the process. "What useless things!" Midna spat, "I'll just hold on to these for you." she said as she snapped her fingers. The weapons disappeared into twilight particles. As they started forward, a voice beckoned them to come to the spring. It was a guardian of light, barely surviving in the twilight that shrouded it.

A vessel of light materialized in front of their eyes as they turned away. It looked very delicate, and so Lear held it by the handle in her mouth. They ran towards the woods, killing each and every one of the large bugs that carried the tears of light. These small tears of light created a beautiful light in the twilight. It shown enough to almost blind them, and when they opened their eyes, they stood in the spring of the Faron Woods, its guardian floating before them.

"Well done, dear heroes. You have restored my light!" The spirit of Faron Woods looked like a giant monkey, and it swung around an orb of light as it talked to them. "As such, you too have been restored to your original forms. The tunics you wear once belonged to the ancient heroes of old, who vanquished the evil that spread across Old Hyrule. Now the clothes belong to you once again!" It spun again as Link and Lear looked down at themselves in awe. They were human again, and each wore the green tunic of the heroes of old.

"Lend us your courage once again! Find the other spirits and restore light to Hyrule!" Here the spirit disappeared in a flash of light and the group stood silent in the spring.

Link stood there, holding his head in his hand. Memories were flooding through his mind, letting him remember all the people he met on his adventures. He remembered Lear...and his love for her. To this day, he still loved her, and now he was restored to his former self. He turned to Lear. So much emotion was in his eyes as he approached her.

"...Lear..." he said quietly. No more words were needed, for Lear knew that his memories were restored. He looked upon her as he did so long ago, that familiar look in his eyes brought comfort. Tears trickled down Lear's cheeks as he hugged her. They were finally reunited; their real adventure would begin.

* * *

A/N: Yay! Link has finally regained his memories!! What shall happen now? XD

Dare Deville: Thanks so much for your reviews!

Dragon of Twilight: Well, your questions have now been answered! Except for the part about Midna, of course. XD

Thanks for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

Sometime during their travels, the spell on Begonia and her son Raiquen was released. They began to age as normal people do, but only from the age the spell first took effect. Now, five years later, Begonia watched over her son as he continued to grow like normal little boys. He was 15 now, and as much of a teenager as ever.

They traveled throughout the land, visiting many different places and training vigorously with their powers. Her son had the ability to use and control fire. Despite his age, he has almost mastered his ability. They set up camp by a spring in the middle of Hyrule field.

"Mother?" Raiquen asked while laying in the grass. "Why is it, that we had a spell set on us? You've never told me why." Begonia sighed and looked at her son. He was beginning to look a lot like his father, Begonia noted.

"My dear boy, I don't know why that spell was cast on us..." her words trailed off as she noticed Raiquen playing with a ball of fire in his hands. "Oh Raiquen! Put that out before you light up the entire field!" she scolded. Raiquen grinned.

"Now, that would be a sight, wouldn't it?"

She mock scowled and looked back up at the stars. She did indeed wonder why she was still alive, when nobody else she knew was. The two of them were alone, alone in a new land after so many years. She wondered if there was any hope of gaining a new life, one where her son and her could live in peace and happiness. Every time that thought appeared in her head, a dark shadow swallowed it up instantaneously and she lost hope once again. Raiquen's voice pierced through her thoughts.

"Where are we headed next?" He played with a firefly that was lazily fluttering around the soft grass blades. Begonia thought about this. They'd been wandering for so long...she wanted somewhere to settle down permanently.

"Well, how about we try to find somewhere to live? I don't know about you, but I would like to live in a house." she said thoughtfully. Raiquen turned his head towards his mother. He wasn't sure what to say, so he kept silent. Sure, it would be nice to live in a home, but they've been traveling for so long. He would probably itch to get out after a short time of being cooped up in a house. Begonia watched the stars, noticing that the constellation Siyavash is shining brightly.

Rain.

Her thoughts immediately drifted to her sister as she let out a sad sigh. She felt a small gladness, however, at knowing that there was a bit of familiarity in her dark world, even if it was in the stars.

"It's going to rain tomorrow, we should probably find shelter..." She said, looking at Raiquen out of the corner of her eye. She'd hit a soft spot. He stuck his tongue out and shuddered.

"Rain! Aw...I hate rain..." He muttered. Begonia smiled, recognizing a common personality trait of a fire talent.

"Then do you agree with me that we need to find a place to stay?" She said. He nodded his head gloomily.

"Alright, get Kivuli to wake up. The closest place from here is the Kakariko village." she said as she stood up. She began to put their camp supplies away as Raiquen lazily got up to walk over Kivuli.

"Kivuli! You lazy horse, get up!" Kivuli just lay there on his side sleeping. He whinnied with annoyance at Raiquen.

"Hey, just because you started aging again it doesn't mean you get to be lazy!" he said as Kivuli brought itself to his feet. Begonia laughed as she packed their supplies onto her steed's back. Laughter wasn't something that came very often from Begonia, so Raiquen smiled when he heard his mother's laugh.

They loaded their camping supplies up onto Kivuli's back and watched as Begonia's shadow pointed the way to Kakariko. Walking in silence was not easy for Raiquen to do, and he frolicked about the horse and his mother. "Mom," He asked while avoiding Kivuli's flipping tail and running back to his mother's side.

"Will I be able to make friends there?" Begonia hesitated in answer, not only because she didn't know whether there would be or not, but because she realized that her son was growing up and no longer needed just his mother's company to remain happy.

"I'm sure there will be, and you'll make lots of friends!" This made the boy very happy and he was content to walk in a few moments of rare silence.

The cool breeze brushed their backs as they approached the entrance to the village, it was past midnight, and Begonia was unsure whether or not they'd be able to stay in an inn. Raiquen noticed a light coming from a large home next to the village spring.

"Look! Someone must be awake in there!" he said as he pointed towards the building.

"I suppose..." Begonia said quietly. They made their way to the front door, leaving Kivuli to rest, and knocked on the door.

Several minutes passed before the door opened and spilled bright light upon their faces. Begonia raised her hand up to squint against it as she hesitantly spoke.

"We're very sorry to bother you at this time, but we need a place to stay. Is there anywhere where my son and I can rest?" The man shifted out of the light and Begonia lowered her arm. She took a moment to look past him and saw a room full of villagers looking curiously at them. She turned her eyes back to the man at the door as he spoke.

"Yes, and it's no trouble at all! Barnes, Luda, will you please join me in escorting our guests to the inn?"

They both nodded and made their way to the door. The three villagers all noticed how similar their guests were to Lear. It was even more strange to see them after Lear had disappeared. What could destiny hold for them? The group walked in silence as they made their way to the inn. Begonia began to sense a strangeness in the shadows as they neared the doorway.

"Wait! Something's not right..." Begonia said aloud. She motioned them to stay put as she approached the door, unsheathing her old twin swords.

A loud scratching noise rent through the air and the door burst open, causing the startled villagers to fall back. A shadow beast roared and flung it's arms in their direction, but Begonia leaped out in front of them and made short work of it with several swipes of her trusty swords. The shadow fell with a screech, but the victory was short lived as the ground began to rumble and more shadows appeared, along with Boblin warriors. They stopped short in the center of the town and commanded the shadows to raid the town. Mass panic enveloped Begonia and the others as the monsters attacked. Begonia cut left and right, but the shadows were too quick for her and she began to get pushed back. A child's scream was heard ahead and, thinking it was Raiquen's, she ran for it.

She came upon four children and a young woman, they were being dragged by their feet by a group of boblins. Her motherly instinct took over and she fought the boblins alone until they fell. A shadow beast reared up for an attack as a blaze of fire consumed its actions. From a distance, she saw her son fighting fire against shadow, and he had just saved her. As she finished off the boblins, the shaman came and took the children away. However, when Begonia turned her back, the young woman was taken into custody again.

"Mom! Hurry! We can't fight them!" Raiquen yelled as he ran to the large home beside the spring.

She turned back around towards the prisoner and watched as more shadows ran towards her, blocking her from the girl and her kidnappers. She turned and ran with a regretful heart back to the sanctuary, slamming the door behind her. Monsters on the other side heaved against it, and the rest of the villagers ran to her aid and threw their body weight against the door. Raiquen quickly yelled for help, and they grabbed a large wooden beam and lodged it between the door handles. The monsters continued to try to break in, but after several terrifying minutes, the sounds of their screeching died away.

* * *

The midday sun shown brightly upon the heroes. Link rode Epona across the Hyrule plains, Lear sat behind him with her arms around his waist. She felt a twinge of sadness that Fala was no longer around, however, her current position was very satisfying. The two talked about how their lives had been when they lived without their memories. Currently, they were headed straight for Kakariko village.

"Keep going straight, fairy-boy, Kakariko lays before that large volcano!" Lear said to him, for Link had no idea how to get there.

Link gave his characteristic half-smile and spurred Epona onward. Lear felt so free, more free than she'd felt in a long time. Her curly hair whipped in the wind as she gazed across the plain and felt the happiness grow inside of her until it felt like a buzzing in her bones. She felt her spirit fall, however, as a dark wall of Twilight blocked the way into the village. Epona slowed and whinnied nervously, as Midna appeared beside them.

"Well, well. Look what we have here. You two ready to be wolves again?" She cackled as their faces fell. Lear slid off the saddle and waited for Link to hop down beside her before they walked towards the void.

As he did so, he gave Midna an annoyed glance. To him it seemed as such a burden to have to obey Midna's orders. If he had his way, he would just wander the lands with Lear, alone. As they approached the dark wall, Midna made her way through it and pulled them into the twilight. The painful transformation was upon them once again, and once they regained their composure, Midna took her place on Link's back. With worry overtaking her, Lear ran ahead to see the damage that had occurred.

"Link!" She called back over her shoulder, "The village...there's shadows everywhere!" Her head whipped back and forth, looking for anyone she knew. Her blood ran cold as she paced to and fro, but Link's muzzle was suddenly next to hers.

"Calm down, Lear! It's going to be ok, I promise! Now try to use your nose and see if you can pick up anyone's scent." She looked into his striking blue eyes. Even though they were now set in the face of a wolf, she could still recognize the human within. She nodded her head and they branched out to sniff the ground. As Lear sniffed near the cliff face, Link suddenly gave an alarmed bark.

"Lear, they're here! Colin, Beth, and the others; they're here!" His tail wagged back and forth as he followed the trail, Lear trotting behind him.

Link kept his nose towards the ground as he ran, the scent trail led him to the large door of the sanctuary. Lear noticed a window slightly open, a spirit was lingering there. She used her senses to find that Barnes was watching for activity outside.

"Link! This man is Barnes...I'm glad there are survivors..." Link nodded and looked around.

"How can we get in?" Link asked. Lear thought about this for a moment, then took the lead. As they began to race towards the cemetery, a faint voice beckoned them to the spring. A light spirit lingered there, barely surviving in the twilight. Just as the guardian asked of them back in Faron woods, they would have to restore the tears of light.

They hurried and exterminated the Twilight bugs and Link held the shining Vessel of Light in his jaws. He turned to see Lear dashing up a hillside, and followed her while Midna scowled. She jumped from roof-top to roof-top until she found her way onto the roof of the sanctuary. Using her claws, she dug through the patched hole in the ceiling and jumped down inside. Link followed and felt a moment of relief as he landed on all four paws. They both used their animal senses to see they people around them. Lear scanned the crowd of spirits that did not realize that she was there, and felt a pang of sadness at seeing the villagers huddled in such fear. But they seemed to be safe and sound. Link watched over the children that were kidnapped from his own village and listened to them talking of him coming to their rescue from that dark place.

Midna began to taunt Link about him being invisible to his friends as Lear looked around the room. She noticed two spirits lingering in the corner of the room and made her way over to them. When she used her senses, she couldn't believe what she saw. Her sister sat there with a young man.

_'Raiquen? It couldn't be!'_ she thought to herself in shock. Link caught her attention as he ran around the room with a torch in his jaws. He lit every torch in the room, creating the entrance to the basement of the sanctuary.

"Lear! C'mon, let's go!" he called to her. Lear followed him into the basement where they found twilight bugs lingering.

They took out each bug and watched the tears of light flow into the light vessel. They then climbed up a passage until they reached regular grounds. Lear knew this village well, and she led the way, taking out every twilight bug she ran into. She was desperate to free the village of the twilight curtain that covered them. Midna only scoffed as Navi praised Lear for her quick movements.

"It looks like we only have one more to find!" she said as she fluttered around. She too, couldn't wait to get out of the twilight; it was difficult for her to keep her bright light, as she was born of pure light.

They wasted no time in finding and destroying the last of the Twilight vermin. As they trotted back to the spring, light began to gently cover the earth and they heard the voice of the Eldin Spirit. The spirit took on the form of a giant bird, and it eagerly thanked them for restoring the light to his land. Light descended on them warmly, and when they opened their eyes, they were human once again.

Lear beamed at Link and they both watched as the spirit disappeared, leaving the gently bubbling spring behind it. They both turned when the door to the sanctuary opened and the awed villagers began to walk out.

The children ran over to Link when they saw him. Renado and the others slowly followed and greeted Lear. Moments later, Begonia and Raiquen emerged from the doorway. Begonia looked at her sister incredulously as she fell to her knees, causing Raiquen to panic. Lear looked over at the sound of a boy's voice. She saw her sister on her knees, crying, her face buried in her hands. Time seemed to move so slowly as she ran to her, falling to her knees and enveloping her sister in a hug. By now, she too was crying.

She spoke soothing words to her, just as she did when they were little girls, when Begonia had a nightmare.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!! My writing partner, and I, have officially finished writing this story. Of course, we're not going to post the rest of the chapters all at once, but we will try to post a chapter at least every other day. 

And in other news, it's my birthday! (August 31st) does a victory dance


	6. Chapter 6

They could not help but laugh. Here they were, nearly a century forward in time, and they still had their family. The sisters hugged again, crying tears of happiness. Raiquen could not understand for the life of him why his mother was crying and hugging a complete stranger. Begonia laughed and suddenly noticed her son scowling at her.

"Oh! Come here, Raiquen. I want you to meet somebody!" She sniffed. Lear stared incredulously at the boy as he stared back, slowly walking over to his mother's arms. "Raiquen, this is my sister, Lear! She met you once, when you were barely a couple of days old."

Raiquen continued to stare, blinking a few times until his straight face broke into a smile.

"...So...Aunt Lear?" Lear nodded with a smile.

"You've grown so much, Raiquen! I can't believe how handsome you are!" she said as she hugged her nephew. Raiquen smiled, yet slightly winced at his aunt's touch. He could tell that she had the water ability; he wasn't too fond of water. All three stood up from the floor, brushing the dirt from themselves. Raiquen looked at his mother, her faced beamed with happiness. However, just by looking in her eyes, you knew that something was still missing in her life. His thoughts were broken by Lear's voice.

"So Raiquen, what element can you control?" she asked with excitement in her voice. He considered her for a moment, but then stood up tall and grinned.

"The fire! Watch this!" He clicked his knuckles together and sparks fell from his hands. As they hit the earth, birds emerged from the flames and flapped their wings before the fire died down and became ash. His mom looked around with a worried look and scolded him for using the fire around other people. He looked up to see Lear staring in wonder at the place where the birds had been, with a smile on her face.

"That's fantastic, Raiquen! You're already ahead in the skill level of your age. You keep practicing! But remember, fire has an insatiable appetite, and you've got to learn what to expect from it!" She continued to smile at him, but when she turned her back at the mention of her name, he frowned at her. He knew how to control fire, he didn't need a water bearer to tell him how to control it! Begonia, however, noticed his glare and frowned at him once again.

Link made his way towards them, happy that they had saved the village. He stopped abruptly when he saw Begonia standing there. He was taken aback when he looked at the eyes of the young man standing next to her. Was he the only one who noticed the similarities?

"Link! You're here too?" Begonia exclaimed. Link gave her a half-smile as she gave him a short hug. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually happy to see you!" Raiquen stood there dumbfounded. _'Why on earth is my mother hugging random people?'_ he thought to himself. He then noticed that Link was extending his hand towards him; he shook it hesitantly and Begonia smiled.

Link noticed the boy eyeing his blade. "Would you like to see it?" Link said as he unsheathed his blade. Raiquen only raised an eyebrow in response, and Link cleared his throat in the awkward silence. "Do you know how to use a sword?"

Raiquen wasn't too interested in being talked to as if he were a little child. Link's tone of voice implied that he thought he was weak, at least, that's what it seemed to Raiquen. Begonia spoke up for Raiquen, whom kept his scowl.

"Actually, he does, Link!" She said with a smile. "I taught him the Glaicien way of swordplay." Lear smiled at this, then got an idea.

"Hey Link, why don't you and Raiquen have a practice fight?" This aroused many different facial expressions. Link was grinning, Begonia frowned, and Raiquen only raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if you insist! Raiquen, whadda ya say? Want to have a little practice?" Lear walked over to Link and rested her elbow on his shoulder. They both smiled at him. He rolled his eyes and looked at his mother. Begonia twiddled her fingers. She knew how good Link was with a sword, he was the best she'd ever seen. But she also knew that he would never hurt her son. It was Raiquen she worried about. As a fire, his temper was always un-stable. But the boy grabbed his mother's swords lying nearby and walked off a little ways into the village, looking back at the others.

"Well?" He called. Lear looked at Link and he drew his sword with a shrug.

"I guess that's a yes...?" He said as he walked towards Raiquen.

Raiquen crossed his blades in front of him as Link called out the rule. "The first person to fall to the floor loses!"

Raiquen nodded and waited for Link to make the first move. He watched Link shuffle his feet, then he dashed forward and lunged his sword in a straight attack. Until the very last moment, Raiquen remained immobile. He caught Link's blade with his own and pushed him back. Begonia watched intently, trying to imagine Raiquen practicing with his father, rather than Link. The two continued to fight, catching each other's strikes perfectly. Raiquen did a back flip directly over Link's head, lunging at him when he landed. It frustrated him when Link blocked his attacks again; he glared at Link as they were only inches apart, pushing against each other with crossed blades.

Link gave him a smile, apparently under no stress at all. "

You're quite skilled, Raiquen!" The boy glared at him when he said this and tried to shove Link to the ground. Link however, just stepped to the side and Raiquen yelled as he fell to the ground. A whistle was heard from the villagers on the sidelines.

"Game, match!"

There was clapping and cheers heard from around the ring, including a very enthusiastic Lear. Link held his hand out to Raiquen.

"Very nice! I can teach you-" He withdrew his hand with a startled flinch, however, when his glove caught fire. The boy glared daggers at him as he helped himself up and stalked back to his mother. Link shook his hand repeatedly, trying to extinguish the flames. No one else had noticed the fire, and he glanced down at his burned hand.

Lear ran over to him with a smile on her face, but frowned a little. "I smell smoke...is everything all right?" Link nodded with a smile but commented that he needed to sit down for a bit.

"That boy's good, I'm going to go sit in the Inn for a minute or two." Lear watched him with concern as he walked off, trying to hide his injury. He walked into the Inn and placed his hand under the sink, allowing the icy water to cool his burn. He wasn't angry at all, but worried about how much of his father was truly in the boy. He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face Lear.

"I didn't hear you come in..." He said with a bashful smile. She didn't say anything, but took his hand out of the water and examined it with a frown.

"Link..." She sighed. He just gave his half-smile and turned the water off.

"Nothing to worry about, Lear. Raiquen knows how to defend himself well." He didn't want Lear upset at the boy, but she seemed more upset at him for not telling her about his hand. She shoved a seat over to him.

"Sit."

He did as he was told as she pulled his glove off of his hand and applied burn ointment to the blisters. They were silent as she produced gauze and began to slowly wrap up his injury.

"Lear...how are they still alive?" He asked thoughtfully, watching Lear finish.

"I...don't know...all I do know, is that I'm happy to see my sister and my nephew." Lear said as she let go of Link's hand. He balled his hand into a fist, making sure the bandage didn't hinder his hand's movements. Link and Lear sat there quietly, enjoying their moments together. They haven't had the chance to sit and do nothing for quite a while. However, such a moment would never last long. They both turned their heads to the door as they heard a loud rumble outside. They quickly made their way outside and found a group of boblins riding large boars. The leader had taken Colin and stampeded away. Link quickly jumped onto Epona's back, spurring away before Lear had the chance to join him.

He raced after the boblins, turning his head when he saw Raiquen racing his large steed after the boblins as well. When they made eye contact, they nodded and separated: Link taking out the boblins on the right, Raiquen on the left.

Link whispered ancient Hylian into Epona's ears, willing her to go faster. Her hooves flew faster and faster as they caught up to the King Boblin, holding Colin captive atop a pole. Link and Epona ran around the giant boar as his sword sliced back and forth, making King Boblin roar with pain. He slumped over in the saddle of Lord Bulbo as they galloped slowly towards Eldin Bridge. Link followed them out upon the bridge but Epona whinnied as bucked as fire suddenly sprang up on either entrance, leaving no exit. King Boblin had recovered and he snarled at Link as he kicked at Lord Bulbo's sides, urging the giant boar to leap forward and run at top speeds towards their prey. Epona cantered forward, and Link stroked her neck.

"Steady girl...steady..." He said as the boar continued to barrel towards them. The rumbling and vibrations of the hooves grew immensely as the monster drew closer. Raiquen watched from outside the flames. Try as he may, the boy couldn't control the fire enough to let him through. He watched in horror as the boar charged towards the walking Epona and Link.

"Link, LOOK OUT!" He shouted. Link turned Epona to the side at the last moment, and the startled King Boblin rode by without the pleasure of crushing the horse and rider beneath him. Link struck just as the King was by his side, and the monster roared in pain for the last time as he fell from his steed and off of the bridge, tumbling into the depths below.

Raiquen tried and tried again to control the fire. If he couldn't put it out, then Link would be trapped on the bridge. He dismounted Kivuli and approached the fire. The fire beckoned him to dance within the flames, and being the teenager that he is, he jumped right into the fire. Link watched him do this and yelled out, only to stop and watch him disperse the flames. Raiquen was in full control now, and the fire danced away into ash and smoke. Link spurred Epona through the smoke, finding Raiquen on his steed once again, smirking.

"Nice going there...did you get Colin?" he asked. Link stared at Raiquen, he wasn't burned at all! He nodded and turned his attention towards the boy in his arms.

"I'll race you back to the village!" Raiquen said as he spurred Kivuli into a gallop.

Link rolled his eyes at he boy and laughed freely, allowing Epona to take off after the steed in front of her. They galloped into the village and were met with worried glances which quickly turned to smiles. Soon the entire village was cheering as the horses slowed to a stop. Raiquen dismounted and scoffed as his mom took him in her arms and scolded him while praising him at the same time. Link dismounted, with Colin in his arms, and the village children surrounded him as he walked over to the spring. Lear watched and slowly made her way over also, not wanting to disturb the chatter that resounded around the children and their hero. Link was injured once again, she noted with worry, as she looked at his ash-strewn face. Though he was covered in cuts, bumps, and bruises, he was smiling as he tipped the healing spring water into Colin's mouth. The kids watched as Colin slowly opened his eyes.

They let out excited cheers as Colin came around. Begonia and Raiquen joined in their circle as Link told Colin how Raiquen had helped saving him. Colin quietly spoke about how he wanted to be strong, just like Link. Lear smiled, he was still the great hero that everyone saw him being. After Colin had passed out again, from fatigue, Renado picked him up from Link's arms.

"I will care for the boy. Thank you Link, for saving him." The children followed him into the sanctuary, leaving the four to talk amongst themselves. Begonia checked her son for wounds, not finding any, she turned to Link.

"You both had us worried when you rushed out like that! Here...let me heal your wounds." She said as she walked over to Link. Lear had almost forgotten about her healing ability!

Begonia placed her hand on the cut on Link's arm. Her hand glowed slightly as she healed his injury. When she removed her hand, the cut was gone. To Raiquen, this was normal for him to see, however, it was nothing but shocking to both Lear and Link. When Begonia removed the bandage on Link's hand, she gasped at seeing the burn. Raiquen spoke up before his mom exploded.

"Listen…I'm sorry I burned your hand…Link…" Link nodded with a smile.

"Hey, it's fine! I know you didn't mean it." With this, Begonia healed his burns, and Link patted Raiquen on the back.

Lear beamed. Everything seemed so bright and well. Link turned to her with a smile on his face and they met each other's eyes, gazing at each other for a short moment. Lear found herself wanting to talk to him alone, to spend a peaceful moment with just him. She felt her heart drop as he turned his head while Raiquen spoke to him again, exclaiming how awesome it'd been to be galloping along fighting the monsters. She sighed a little and heard Navi whisper in her ear.

"What's the matter, are you sick?" Lear couldn't help but smile at his and whispered back.

"Not quite the sick you think I am, but sick enough..." Navi's wings fluttered as she hid in Lear's hat.

Begonia noticed the change in Lear. One moment she was beaming, and the next she looked sad. She left the two boys to their chatting about fighting monsters and riding across Hyrule, to walk over by her sister. She gave her a smile as she grabbed her by her arm, pulling her away from the spring.

"Come, Lear! Talk to me...we haven't talked in so long!" Lear took this opportunity to ask her some questions.

"Begonia...how long has it been?" Begonia smiled sadly and sighed.

"It's been 100 years since you and Link disappeared...It's amazing, isn't it?" Lear stopped in her tracks.

"100 years? How on earth are you and Raiquen still alive?" she asked incredulously. Begonia turned towards her sister and frowned.

"That...I do not know for sure. Raiquen and I stopped aging after he turned 10. But only 5 years ago…we started aging again."

Lear pondered this for a moment and frowned slightly. She wondered if this meant the return of her husband...Begonia spoke again.

"Those shadows that attacked our village, am I wrong in guessing that you've encountered them before?" Lear shook her head.

"No...when Twilight falls across the land, those shadows are usually near the darkness, if not the ones bringing it." Begonia looked confused at this, and Lear wondered if her sister would believe that she was able to transform into a wolf. She was suddenly tired, however, and decided not to try to explain to her sister what happened when Twilight fell and took over the land. The village itself was slowly turning orange as the sun set. She wearily hugged her sister again as they went their separate ways; Begonia to the sanctuary and Lear to the inn.

Lear made her way to her room in the inn. The moment she walked into the room, she found a pair of lips that attacked her face. When they broke away, she found Link grinning at her and blushed furiously.

"W-what was that all about??" Lear asked him, he only laughed.

"Ah, I'm just in a really good mood right now, that's all!" Lear sad down on the couch by the window.

"Oh really? Why's that?" Link took a seat next to hear and began talking about her nephew.

"Raiquen's a good boy, your sister raised him well! Hey, he might even help us!" he said as he wrapped his arm around Lear's shoulders. Lear cuddled up against him and smiled.

"You see? I told you he would be..." she said with a yawn.

He rested his cheek on her head with a grin. He didn't want to break the moment to tell her that they needed to go into the heart of a volcano tomorrow, and he chuckled a little at this thought.

"What are you laughing at...?" Her voice came sleepily from under his chin. He drew her closer and laughed again.

"Oh...nothing. Nothing at all. Some day, huh?" She snorted quietly.

"Yeah...you were nearly burned to ashes by my nephew that you now adore, Colin was kidnapped by a giant...thing, and you brushed death yet again to survive another day..." She suddenly felt fear grip like a vice, making it hard to speak. She wondered how many times Link would be able to outsmart death before it finally...but she tried to force the thought away.

Her thoughts seemed to drift away as her eyes slowly closed. She fell asleep next to Link, whom, stayed awake much longer than Lear. He held her close, not wanting to move from this position. In the morning they would have to prepare for the next part of their quest. It would be dangerous, and he had thoughts about leaving Lear behind. In time, he too fell victim of the night, drifting away into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The morning sun filtered through the window of the inn, lightly alighting on Lear's hair and warming her face. She heard giggles and opened her eyes to find Raiquen laughing up at her. She sat up too quickly and hit Link in the chin with her head, causing him to awake with a start. Raiquen laughed harder now.

"Oooooh! Look at you two, gettin' all cuddly!" He wolf whistled and Lear blushed furiously. She jumped up and he ran out the door with a shout of laughter, dodging her fists and insults. Link rubbed his chin and stood up too with a smile. Lear cleared her throat shyly and turned towards him.

"So...we have a job to do, right? Let's get going!" She turned and hurried out the front door towards the horses. Link's smile dropped guiltily as he figured on how he would leave her behind.

Link followed Lear outside, watching her greet Epona. Raiquen was no where in sight.

"I guess he took off!" he laughed. He met up with Renado by the front of the mountain trail.

"Link, be careful. The Gorons, recently, have become hostile towards us..." his words were cut off by a loud yell and a thump. They turned to see that Raiquen had been thrown by a Goron that was guarding the mountain. Link ran over to him and helped him to his feet.

"Geez, Raiquen! You okay?" Raiquen grinned and brushed himself off.

"Yeah, I was just trying to get past that Goron up there...but as you can see, that didn't work out too well." He sniffed and looked back up at the cliff edge.

"Link, you're stronger than me. Why don't you try and throw that 'ol rock eater off the mountain?" Link hesitated. He remembered the Gorons from many years ago. They'd been the best of friends, even to the point of calling him 'brother', to him. He didn't feel right fighting with them. But he knew the only way to the volcano was through the Goron guards littering the mountain. He started to climb the netting on the cliffside when he heard Renado call him back down.

"You may be strong, Link, but not as strong as a Goron. If you want to get past those guards, you better make yourself heavier." Renado nodded as he said this and walked away. Of course! The Iron Boots. But...where were his? Renado suddenly called back over his shoulder.

"I know somebody who can help you with that. A friend of mine is from Ordon, perhaps you know him? Mayor Bo can give you some advice." He turned the corner and was gone. Link grinned.

"Alright...back to Ordon it is!" He remembered Ilia with a jolt. She wasn't with the other children who'd been rescued...where was she? Raiquen spoke up.

"You're going where? Let me come, I'll help you!"

Link pondered this for a moment. He wanted Lear to be safe, and to stay clear of the volcano...Raiquen really could help, being the controller of fire. Making up his mind, he nodded.

"Alright, get your horse ready. Do it quickly, and don't let Lear and Begonia see you!" Raiquen grinned at this. He quickly ran to where his horse was. However, his mother stood by, watching him intently.

"Mom, is it alright if I take Kivuli for a short ride? He seems to need it." Begonia waved him off, and he quickly mounted the steed. He spurred him towards the entrance of the village where Link and Epona were waiting. Link looked over his shoulder to see if Lear was anywhere near. The coast was clear, and he assumed she was talking to the villagers in a building nearby. Safe and sound. He sighed a little bit and turned to the excited Raiquen.

"Okay, you ready? We're just going to make a quick trip to Ordon and get back to help the Gorons out!" Raiquen nodded impatiently and started to gallop forward. The two were soon riding side by side across the beautiful Hyrule Field. The wind whipped at their hair and they laughed as the horses splashed through a small lake, racing underneath a wooden bridge. Link led the way towards Ordon as Raiquen asked him about his adventures.

"So...you really are a hero then? That's incredible! I wish I were like you, Link...fighting monsters all day and roaming the countryside with not a care in the world!" He grinned. Link ran his fingers through his hair uncomfortably.

"Well...it's not easy..." He mumbled, but Raiquen didn't notice.

Link couldn't help but think about how different Raiquen was from his father. In appearance, he looked so much like both Begonia...and Ganondorf...

"Is that it?" Raiquen asked as they approached a thicket of trees. Link nodded and led the way through the forest and across a bridge. They hurried through the village until they came upon a large home. Link quickly dismounted Epona and walked up the steps. Raiquen followed suit and Link knocked on the door. A large man greeted them.

"Link! You're alive! Come, come inside!" he beckoned.

Mayor Bo glanced at the boy that clung to Link like his shadow. Link noticed and introduced Raiquen, but quickly cut to the chase. "Mayor, I need some help. We have to get to the Goron mines, but we can't make it past the Gorons guarding the entrance. They're not allowing humans up the mountain anymore!" Bo looked shocked at this, rubbed his chin, and lead Link over to a treasure chest.

"Link, you've obviously found your destiny. Take the items in this chest and use them to help you with the Gorons. I've taught you to wrestle and you've taken out many of the largest villagers around, I know that with these boots you can take out the Gorons and receive their respect! Now please...where are the children? Do you know where my daughter is?" Link tried to avoid his eye as he placed the new Iron Boots in his bag.

"No, Mayor Bo. We're looking..." His voice trailed off. He didn't know what to say, or what to do about the worried feeling in the pit of his stomach. Bo nodded sadly, but clapped Link on the shoulder with a large hand.

"I have faith in you, m'boy. Now go, and help Hyrule!"

* * *

Link and Raiquen made their way through the fiery volcano, Raiquen deflected the fire that was thrown at them every time. The two had snuck up the mountain on their own, avoiding Lear and Begonia beforehand. They didn't want to endanger them, and so they left on their own. Link had gained the Goron's trust through wrestling, of course, such a thing could only be done while wearing iron boots; otherwise, you would easily be thrown out of the ring.

Maneuvering through the volcano was no small task, however, the heat wasn't a problem for Raiquen. He turned around to find Link panting and sweating from the heat.

"Oh c'mon Link! It's not _that_ hot!" he said impatiently. Link made a face and tried to catch up to the boy running ahead.

"Raiquen, slow down!" They suddenly came to a large room with an even larger Goron standing in the middle of it. Link and the giant Goron quickly entered a wrestling match, with the loser's fate of falling into the lava below. Luckily, Link was quick on his feet and steady with the new boots, and he tossed his opponent into the flames below. The Goron roared and shot back up on the rocking ring, and congratulated Link with the Hero's Bow. Raiquen ran into the ring after the short match.

"Great job, Link! Wow, a bow and arrow! No doubt you're a master at that too!" Link jokingly slugged him in the shoulder and tried to distract himself from the terrible heat that was weighing him down.

"C'mon, let's find the monster that's causing all of this!"

"Right!" Raiquen called back as he darted forward once again. Link decided he was going to have to wrestle that boy once they get out of the mountain. He followed as quickly as he could, but hurried faster when he heard someone yell his name. He found Raiquen sitting on the back of a large dodongo.

"What the heck are you doing, Raiquen?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Link shook his head and rolled his eyes. _'Of course...he's a teenager, and that's a fire-beast...' _he thought to himself. _'How on earth does Begonia keep him under control?'_

He led the Dodongo over to Link and held out his hand. "Okay, hop on!" Link looked the lizard up and down, warily watching the large red eye that blinked up at him. He reached up to Raiquen.

"Uh...are you sure ab-" The lizard took off and Link yelped as he held on tight to the scales. Raiquen looked back and laughed at his expression.

"Jeez, Link! You don't get off horses much, do you?" He laughed again. "This Dodongo knows where the fire is that's bad. I figured that it's gotta be near the monster, right?" He turned back around and Link grinned. "Uh-oh, we've got company!" Raiquen shouted as the Dodongo roared fire and barreled through the Boblins ambushing them. The lizard fought fiercely and caught many between it's jaws, tossing the monsters too and fro. Raiquen shouted and urged the fire to attack left and right. Link drew his bow and sharp-shot those off the cliff faces and made short work of the few that clung to the racing lizard. The Dodongo stopped short at a large door, panting and breathing smoke out of it's open maw. The boys slid off and gave each other high-fives, then gave the lizard a grateful pat and ran towards the door.

With all their strength, they pushed open the massive door. It was dark inside, and much hotter than the last rooms they were in.

"Oh great…" Link said as he wiped his brow.

"What, letting some heat slow you down? C'mon Link, you're acting like an old man." Raiquen said with a smirk. A voice spoke from the shadows, causing Raiquen to jump.

"I'm with the boy on that one…Link!" the voice cackled. Just then, bars sprang up in front of the door, blocking their exit.

"Crap."

A large beast in the center of the room roared, pulling on its chains. Its body glowed as a fiery magma, and its foot was large enough to crush Link and Raiquen. They both drew their swords and readied themselves for battle.

The monster broke free from the wall and swung the massive iron chains in their direction. Link shoved Raiquen to the side and threw himself to the ground, his hair flying as the chains barely missed crushing him against the wall. He hopped back up and yelled as a fire ring burst from the monster and hit it's mark. He lay as rocks fell upon him from the ceiling and his skin burned. Raiquen was at his side, taking the fire from his body and trying to fling it back at the charging monster.

"Link, get up, get up! He's coming!" Raiquen shouted. Link struggled to get up and they both jumped out of the way as the beast's foot came down where they'd been moments before.

"Link! I'll guard you from the fire, you need to shoot that thing's forehead!" Raiquen shouted as they ducked from another attack. Link winced as he pulled out his bow and arrow, his burns were severe ones. A blast of fire flew at them, and Raiquen deflected it, signaling for Link to attack. An arrow flew through the air and hit its mark, causing the beast to roar and stumble. They quickly ran out of its way as it fell to the floor.

"Raiquen, hurry!" Link yelled as he sliced at the beast with his sword. Raiquen took the chance to absorb the flame from the monster.

They both jumped away as it lumbered to its feet and growled low, causing the room to vibrate. Link aimed his bow at the monster's forehead and waited until it charged at him to release the arrow. It hit the diamond square in the center once again, and the beast tore at it's head, roaring in agony. "Now!" Link signaled Raiquen, and the boy released all the built up fire back at the monster, causing it to fall hard with another painful roar. Link drew his sword again and leaped at the beast, attacking it for the last time. It wrenched up and hit the ceiling hard, causing rocks and boulders to rain down into the room. Then it fell and lay still.

The beast exploded in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a large goron and a fused shadow. Link gave Raiquen a pat on the back.

"Hey, great job back there!"

Raiquen grinned, "Same to you! I mean, for an old man..." he joked. Link playfully punched him in the shoulder. Raiquen turned his attention towards the fused shadow that lingered in the air. Just as he was about to touch it, a shadow emerged from Link's shadow, snatching it just before he touched it.

"Never touch a fused shadow. You understand?" she scolded. Link spoke up in his defense.

"Midna, you think he knew that? All of this is new to him!" Midna only scoffed and created a twilight portal.

"If you're done here, then let's go!" she ordered.

Raiquen stared at the little imp floating before him. "Well?!" she yelled. Link turned to him.

"Don't ask..." He mumbled and gave him a wink. They both walked into the Twilight portal and in the blink of an eye, found themselves back at the Kakariko spring. They both turned to one another to give another round of high-fives, but stopped in midair as a scream rent through the air.

"RAIQUEN!! GET OVER HERE...NOW!!" Begonia looked positively like a demon as the boys tried to make themselves disappear.

"Oh boy...you rescue people from angry moms too, right buddy?" Raiquen said to Link.

"I'm afraid you're on your own there, boy. I've got my own problems..." He said through a guilty smile as he watched Lear walk out of the sanctuary. He couldn't read the expression on her face and expected her to begin to yell at any moment. She just stared at him, then suddenly turned on her heels and walked off in the opposite direction.

"Oh boy...I think I'd prefer the yelling to that, Link..." Raiquen said as he left his friend standing speechless in the spring.

After standing for what seemed like forever, looking dumbfounded, Link chased after Lear. She was just outside of the village, and when she saw Link, she began to yell at him.

"Why on earth did you think it was 'okay' to leave me behind? And for goodness sake, you brought my nephew along with you!" Link opened his mouth to speak but was cut off. "Do you have ANY idea how worried we were?" she screamed. Link rubbed his forehead and let out a sigh. Lear continued to yell at him, frustrated that he went through that mountain without her. Several minutes had gone by, and Link grew tired of being yelled at. Suddenly, Link kissed her; when he let her go, he finally took the opportunity to speak.

"The reason why I left without you...is because I didn't want to risk your safety in that volcano...I...I love you, and I didn't want you to get hurt." Link said quietly. He stared her down, waiting for her do say something, or even do something! She just stood there, speechless. Then she raised her hand. He flinched, fearing that she'd lost her temper and wanted to slap him. But she gently placed her hand on his face and spoke softly with tears in her eyes.

"Thank-you for wanting to protect me, Link. But we're a team, and how would you have felt if I had gone on my own up into that mountain to face the dangers alone?" He frowned and held her hand as it stayed on his face.

"I would be terrified, and angry too..." She nodded and removed her hand, but held both of his.

"So, you see where I'm coming from? We don't split up anymore...okay? We stick together through any challenge that presents itself to us, no matter the danger."

Link nodded and smiled, not just his regular smile, but his genuine one.

"And...I love you too, Link..." she said softly.

Link felt his heart skip a beat when he heard those words. He promptly kissed her lips, wrapping his arms around her. Finally, they had confessed their love for the first time, and they would never leave each other's side again.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late update! I was very busy.

Anyway, thanks for reading!! And a special thanks to our wonderful reviewers, we love ya! XD

And one more note, if you click the link in my profile page thing, you can find a portrait of Raiquen that I've done, just so that you all can see what he looks like!


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, the clouds shaded the sun's rays and painted the ground in shades of gray. Lear stood outside the sanctuary's doorway, trying to reassure her sister. Raiquen fidgeted not far off, shifting his weight from foot to foot and looking around the corner of the building. Lear hugged her sister again, but rolled her eyes behind her back.

"Begonia...We'll be fine, I swear it! This is something we've got to do and if we've survived through such extreme dangers for this long, then we can survive them again!" This did little to comfort her sister, and she looked as if she would burst into tears again. Lear assumed it was motherly instinct and let Begonia hug her again in a rib-crushing hold. Raiquen's bored face suddenly broke into a grin and he ran to the figure that was approaching the group.

"Link, where you off to now, huh? Are you going to see more monsters? You'll need help defeating them, right? Because I'm right here, y'know! I can help you, all you have to do is just distract my mom and I'll make a run for it with Kivuli; nothing we can't handle!" Link ruffled the boy's hair and laughed as he led Epona towards the sisters.

"You ready to go?" Link asked Lear, suppressing a laugh as he watched her being crushed by her sister. He mounted Epona and waited for Lear to join him.

"Link, please don't do anything stupid." Begonia said as Lear sat behind Link. He laughed and spurred Epona into a gallop. Begonia turned to look at her son, who now wore a frown.

"Come now, Raiquen...they'll be back soon. As for now, we have our own quest to embark on!" Raiquen grinned and urged his mother towards Kivuli. They bade the villagers farewell and departed...to where, Raiquen didn't know. Begonia, however, felt a strong shadow presence in the lanayru providence. She didn't know who it was, but she did have her hopes up.

The rode for several hours across the vast Hyrule field. As always Hyrule Castle was in the corner of their eye, marking the center of Hyrule. The clouds continued to cover the sun, getting darker as the day wore on and as they drew nearer to Lake Hylia. As they crossed a bridge over the lake, Raiquen leaned as far out as he would dare to look over the sides of the stone. He scrunched up his nose in dismay.

"Not much of a lake, is it...?" Begonia noticed how the lake was barely a puddle. They'd never seen Lake Hylia before, but she knew that it was supposed to be large and clear. She spotted a building hugging the hill's edge and wondered what the inhabitants there would have to say about the lake.

They trotted over to the building, dismounting their steed as they arrived. It looked to be some sort of game-house, and was inviting, so they let themselves in. Begonia looked around to find a number of cuccos wandering the room.

"Oh my! Would you look at that...Oh Raiquen!" she scolded as she saw him about to light the tail-feathers of a bird on fire. Raiquen frowned.

"What? I was just..." He trailed off as a man strolled into the room. He was dressed in silly makeup and clothing; and looked positively gay. Suddenly, Raiquen upped and ran behind Begonia, afraid of this man.

"Hi! I'm Falbi. What's yours?" the man chirped. Begonia finally realized why her son acted in such a way; he was very…disturbing.

"Eh…My name is Begonia, and this is Raiquen…We were wondering about the Lake…"

"Oh! The mighty-fine lake! Well, currently, it's not so fine, but! We're still open for cucco rides down to the bottom!" he sang as he shoved cuccos into their arms. Begonia looked hesitantly over the edge of the floor beneath her to shudder at the drop below.

"I don't know if-RAIQUEN, NO!" She shouted as Raiquen jumped off the side with an excited yell and holding tight to the cucco. He was fluttering down at an easy speed and looking as if he were merely taking an afternoon stroll. Begonia closed her eyes, suppressed another shudder, and stepped of the ledge while clutching the cucco. The bird let out a flurry of clucks and flapped it's wings furiously, keeping both of them airborne while slowly drifting towards the ground. Begonia looked back to see the clown waving.

"Bye, now!"

She smiled uncertainly and turned back around to gaze at the land below her. Raiquen was already standing on the muddy ground, watching the cucco running in distressed circles. Begonia landed on her feet and let the cucco on the ground.

"That was AWESOME! Can we do that again??" Raiquen asked.

Begonia sighed with annoyance, "No, Raiquen. You see where we are? We're stuck!" she said as she pointed behind her. Raiquen let out a nervous laugh and lightly kicked the now calm cucco. Begonia looked around, suddenly feeling a shiver run down her spine. She could feel the dark shadow looming somewhere near, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Mom?"

"Shh! Something's near...keep quiet and follow me." she said as she moved forward.

They skirted the small lake and made they're way towards a hill on the opposite side of the landscape where they'd landed. Begonia felt the presence coming from the top, and she wondered...Raiquen had already begun to climb, so she followed suit and grabbed a hold of the rocky outcrop. Brushing her skirts off at the top, she saw the what looked like a cave a little distance in front of them. Snake statues guarded the entrance, their necks bent in a delicate S-curve and their stony eyes pierced through both Begonia and Raiquen's mind. She looked into the darkness of the cave and took a step inside. Raiquen's boldness got the best of him and he began to walk forward fearlessly, his mother following.

A dim, yet dead light glowed in the center of the room as they found their way. Raiquen scoffed at the sight.

"We climbed all this way for nothing?" he said aloud. Begonia could feel the presence of the shadow. It was so close it was almost like something was breathing down her neck, but nothing was there when she turned her head. When she looked forward once again, her eyes fell upon a dark man, cloaked in robes and wore a large helmet. The man was Zant. Ruler of the twilight.

"You! You were the one that I felt lingering here!" Begonia accused. Zant laughed underneath his helmet.

"I could say the same to you...Begonia."

'_Begonia! Can you not recognize me?'_ Ganondorf's thoughts begged. Zant's arms extended towards the frightened girl.

"Don't touch my Mom!" Raiquen yelled. Zant turned towards Raiquen.

"Still your tongue, whelp!"

Ganondorf reached for her, through Zant's body, he touched Begonia's face.

"Your power is one that could do well in my army." Zant spoke quietly. Begonia scoffed and stepped back. She couldn't help but feel that the way that he moved was familiar, but it wasn't her husband. She watched as the large tongue of Zant's helmet open, revealing his mouth and chin. Suddenly, he disappeared and she felt breathing on her neck.

"Your power is so strong…you could be mine." his voice hissed. Within his mind, the two men fought for control. Only for a moment, Ganondorf took control. He embraced Begonia from behind her and whispered her name.

She whipped around and faced him with a her upper lip curled into a snarl. "If you know what's good for you, Zant, you'll keep your distance or you'll see what I can really do with my power." Raiquen now stood by her side, his fists clenched and eyes burning with hate at the monster that stood before them. He laughed slowly and raised his hand.

"Is that a threat...? Perhaps you'd like to see what I can do with my power; when the whole earth is covered in Twilight, you will survive to see your loved ones turn into nothing but a memory!" With that, a shadow of Twilight descended quickly upon the two, making them crouch in shock and fear.

When the shadow of Twilight lifted from Begonia and her son, Zant was gone. She glared at the spot where he'd been standing and huffed angrily. She was ashamed to find that it came out a lot higher and considerably a lot less threatening than she expected. Shaking her head, she turned to Raiquen. A jet black raven flapped and cawed where Raiquen had been moments before. She gasped and ran to pick it up, looking around for her son. The raven turned to her and cawed harshly again, flapping it's wings. She suddenly found that it was a huge raven, reaching up to her chin. Reaching down to pick it up, she tripped and smacked her face on the ground. The raven stopped its fluttering and hopped to and fro, crying as it did. She reached up with her hand to rub her nose...and barked in dismay.

Begonia had become a fox, white with shimmering beauty. Her glaicien marking was still present on her forehead. She looked at the black raven and noticed orange feathers on its head; they presented Raiquen's marking.

"...Raiquen?" her fox voice whined. The raven hopped over to her, huddling up against Begonia's leg.

"Mom...I'm scared." Raiquen cawed. Begonia nodded in agreement. Why must these things happen to her? She sat down on her haunches to ponder what they were going to do next.

"W-what's happened? Why are we animals?" His voice came out as harsh as the cry of the body he was now in. She shook her head.

"It was Zant's doing, no doubt...Lear once told me that the only ones to survive in the Twilight are animals. Zant probably turned us into beasts as a punishment, but it's really a blessing..." She didn't see how that was possible now. A new thought then occurred to her. How had Lear found her in the first place? And the monsters had disappeared at her coming...was she able to walk freely in the Twilight with Link? And if so, was she able to take on a beast form too? Raiquen fluttered again and cursed.

"What's the point of being a bird if I can't fly?!" He cawed. Begonia considered this with a laugh. She was horrified to discover that they'd been transformed, but she might as well make the best of it while finding a way to change back. She thought back to Lear again. If she was able to survive in the Twilight, then obviously she could become an animal. And if she could become an animal and turn back into human, then she would know how to break the spell put upon them.

As Begonia stood up to leave, Raiquen climbed up her tail and onto her back. Begonia didn't mind, of course, Raiquen couldn't really get around without flying. Her first few steps were clumsy ones, as she didn't know how to coordinate her legs properly.

"Man, it would've been nice if you had turned into a horse..." Raiquen cawed.

"And why's that?"

"Just look at yourself, Mom! You'll never get around fast enough with those legs..." Begonia ignored her son's crowing and made her way out of the cave. Somehow, during the time that they were in that cave, the water had been restored in the lake. She trotted along the trail that led to a bridge to a tiny island in the lake; crossing it, she found another bridge that led to the mainland...

"Hello there!" a voice squawked. A colorful parrot perched upon a sign greeted them and flapped its wings.

They both looked up at it with a shocked fascination. The bird was talking to them. It cocked it's head and spoke again.

"What's the matter, don't speak Plumm? Well, that's me, and I'm a game host. You, raven, you can fly! How would you like to play a little game?" It shook it's head excitedly and looked back and the two animals. Raiquen's feathers ruffled in annoyance and he flapped his wings.

"I can't, I don't know how to fly!" He glared at parrot.

"My, my. A bird that doesn't know how to fly. Hm." He sounded sarcastic. "What, were you raised by chickens?" He shook his head again and flapped over to Raiquen, who hopped off of Begonia's back and faced the parrot defiantly. Plumm wasn't persuaded by this, however, and he smacked Raiquen with his wing.

"Lucky for you," he said while the raven tried to catch his breath, "I'm an expert teacher too. Now spread your wings, raven! You've got quite the wingspan there, so be proud! Stop slumping forward like those two-legged humans, you're a bird for Chickadee's sake!!"

Begonia sat down on her haunches as she watched the bird scold Raiquen for every little mistake. It was quite entertaining!

"No! Stop flapping your wings like a chicken!" Plumm squawked. Raiquen obeyed every order. The little parrot soon had Raiquen flapping from different points and (though quite clumsily) landing at higher points. Finally, Plumm pointed with his wing to a small island out on the water.

"Ok, you've officially proved that the human's expression of 'bird brain' is not quite such an understatement, in your case. Am I wrong? Plumm is never wrong! Now meet me at that island, little chicken." Plumm took off, narrowly avoiding Raiquen's striking beak.

Begonia cheered him on as he took off. Raiquen flew gracefully in the air, however, he didn't land on his feet. He crashed just in front of Plumm, who was laughing at his student's failure to land.

"You flew wonderfully, little chicken! How about that landing, no?" he squawked. Raiquen grew very annoyed with this and pecked him until he flew away. He chased him all the way back to Begonia, this time landing on his feet. "

You did wonderfully well, Raiquen!" Begonia praised. She then turned to Plumm. "If I may ask, Plumm, do you know why the lake was restored?"

Plumm spun circles around himself, checking to see how many tail feathers had been pecked off by the angry Raiquen. "Hm. They were wolves, and they flew on a dark creature through my game grounds. MY game grounds; the nerve of the beasts! Anyhow, they headed to Zora's Domain, where the fish-people live. When they walked out of it, the water was restored, but they took off rather quickly towards the field. When I asked them if they wanted to play, the silver one snapped at me and told me that they were busy with a curse! I told her that that was no way to treat a-" Begonia was already racing away towards Hyrule Field. Raiquen now flew beside her, looking back to caw a thank-you to Plumm. The parrot shook its head and waved a wing at the retreating animals.

The two traveled as quick as they could, now fully accustomed to their animal forms. As they made it into the field, Begonia caught a smell on the wind. She wasn't used to using her nose in such a way, but she smelled two wolves.

"Raiquen! They went this way!" she barked. Raiquen flew close to her head.

"How do you know?" he cawed.

"I can smell them! Just follow me!" Not only did she smell them, but her shadow pointed her in the right direction as well. They crossed the plains much quicker than they would've if they were still human; that, to them, served as quite the advantage.


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the late update!! When school got started...I just got so busy that I couldn't find time to edit the story into chapters for posting._

_Anyway, onward to reading! XD_

* * *

They soon reached the Ordona providence and continued to follow the scent trail deep into the forest. It became stronger as they neared what looked to be ancient runes scattered among the trees. Raiquen flew upwards to get a glimpse of the environment below him. He could still not get over the sheer exhilaration of being able to fly, but he pushed his excitement into the back of his mind to concentrate on his surroundings. Squinting his raven eyes, he saw the shapes of the wolves running through an ivy-covered archway and approaching a pedestal. His mom was not too far behind. He swooped low towards her, holding his wings taunt against the air currents buffeting him, and flapped over her head.

"Mom, they're just ahead! Run faster, we can catch up to them!"

Begonia did as her son said and ran as quick as her little legs could carry her. Raiquen began to crow as loudly as he could and flew ahead into the archway. As Begonia finally made her way to the archway, she saw Lear and Link barking at Raiquen. They had no idea that it was him, and so in their defense, they barked and growled.

"Lear! We found you!" Begonia barked. The two wolves stopped and looked at the white fox that approached them, looking confused.

"Who are you?" Lear growled. Raiquen perched himself onto his Mother's head.

"It's me! Begonia! And Raiquen's a raven..."

Lear's ears pricked up in alarm and Link turned his head questioningly towards Midna. Midna sighed, annoyed by the distraction. And turned towards the animals.

"Haven't run into a 'King' lately, have you?"

Begonia's own ears flattened at this.

"A king? No...but we did run into this...thing who calls himself Zant. And he was the one who got us into this mess!" Her whiskers quivered in distress and Raiquen hopped from foot to foot.

"As he has for us, as well!" Midna snapped back in annoyance. "Look, Link. Pull the Master Sword from that pedestal there and the spell on all of us will be broken." She floated in midair with her arms crossed. Link, however, hesitated as he glanced at the sword. Lear was suddenly by his side.

"What's wrong?" He shook his muzzle slightly.

"It's just that...I'm no hero, really. I'm just a farm boy, or...am I? I can recall being a hero so long ago, but I still see myself as no one more than a boy dreaming to be something he's not. And...who knows whether the Master Sword will even remember me?"

Lear looked at him with caring eyes. "Don't worry, Link! I know it'll work out, just trust me!" she said to him quietly. Link nodded and walked towards the blade. As soon as he got close enough, the sword immediately began to react to him, and to the evil curse placed upon him. Harsh, magical wind blew from the blade of evil's bane. Link pushed against it until a bright light flashed and dispelled the curse on the animals. When the light dispersed, Begonia enveloped her son in a hug and they watched Link grasp the hilt of the blade. So many memories once again flowed through Link's mind of the first time he drew forth the blade from its pedestal.

He stared for a moment at the hilt he held in his hands before he sheathed the Master Sword with a smile. Midna appeared in front of him holding a shadow in her hands.

"This is the curse that Zant put on you and Lear. I'll just keep it with me. Now you two can transform whenever you want, so let's make good use of it and head to the desert!" She disappeared again and Link sighed.

Begonia sighed inwardly, knowing that the desert was the home of her old memories...

"The desert has changed greatly over the years...only I am familiar with it..." Begonia trailed off and Raiquen continued for her.

"Please Link! Can we go with you to the desert? My mom can guide you to wherever you need to go!" he pleaded. Link and Lear looked at each other and Lear sighed.

"Alright, now let's get out of here!"

* * *

The small group approached Hyrule Castle Town as night slowly descended. Raiquen looked agitated.

"What are we doing here? Aren't we supposed to be heading towards the desert?" Link raised an eyebrow at Lear.

"We're just grabbing a few last minute supplies. Telma's holding them for us at the bar. Lear and I will run ahead to check up on her, you stay back with your mom." Before Raiquen could protest, he and Lear took off at a run into the market. He gave his mom a look as she twiddled her fingers and walked leisurely along.

"Honestly, is it that difficult to go to the desert?" Raiquen asked, positively annoyed with the situation. Begonia only shrugged, leading the way to the bar. She fought to keep a straight face, as she knew that her son had no idea that they were throwing him a birthday party. A couple minutes passed by and they noticed Link run towards them.

"Hey, there are a lot of supplies back at the bar, could you help us out? C'mon!" he gestured towards the bar as Raiquen rolled his eyes. They followed him at a quick run, down an alley where the bar was located. Link slightly fell back, allowing Raiquen to open the door for himself. The moment he opened it, a bunch of people, including his aunt and Telma jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" and "Happy Birthday", causing the now 16 year old to jump.

He had completely forgotten that today was his birthday. A grin broke out on his face as Link clapped him on the back and laughed.

"Are you surprised?" The now-teenager nodded his head eagerly.

"I had no idea, I'd forgotten the date!" He was speechless and didn't quite know how to handle it, as he hardly ever had nothing to say. His mom led him over to a table where Telma had placed a large sweet cake in the center. The group sat around him talking and laughing. Somebody tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to face his aunt's smiling face.

"Happy birthday, Raiquen! Here's your present..." She held out a package to him and he took it with a smile. When he unwrapped the present, he held a thick leather skinned glove in his hands.

"What's this?" He said with a puzzled expression.

Lear took him by the hand and silently lead him around to a dark room in the back of the bar. She walked inside and appeared again with a cage in her hand. Lifting the blanket from the bars, Raiquen went wide-eyed as he stared at a beautiful hawk in the center, preening it's feathers and staring back at him with bright eyes.

"This hawk was caught by an owner who treated it very unfairly. I took the liberty to take it off of his hands and bring it to an owner who would care for it in a more loving manner. I know you will become fast friends with him!" Lear explained.

Raiquen grinned and practically jumped on his aunt,

"Thank you so much, Aunt Lear!" he exclaimed. While he made himself acquainted with his new friend, Begonia slipped her sister away to speak with her.

"Lear, do you remember your 16th birthday, as well as my own?" her sister nodded.

"Yeah, we both got our own blades then...oh!" Begonia nodded.

"Yes, and I think it best to give him his own set of twin swords, born of our elements." Begonia said, smirking. The sisters were highly capable of this, and it was now their turn to pass on the glaicien legacy. They called everyone to the center of the room, Raiquen at the front.

"Raiquen, what your aunt and I are about to do, is something special."

"In the glaicien culture, when a person turns 16, they receive a gift from the elders."

Begonia and Lear both raised their hands up, creating what you might call a sphere of element. In Begonia's hand, a ball of shadow; In Lear's hand, a ball of wind. Begonia closed her eyes as the shadow began to take the shape of two blades. Lear's wind encircled the shadow, creating a flash of light. When the light dispersed, Begonia held two fine blades by the hilt. Raiquen couldn't believe his eyes at what he saw. Everyone in the room was smiling as he took the blades in hand.

He could feel the power of his own element travel from his hand into the blade hilts. He wanted to practice with them right now, but Link now stood next to him.

"I have a present for you too, Raiquen!" He pulled a wooden flute and figure out of his pocket and placed them in the boys' hands. Symbols, figures, and animals adorned the flute and wooden raven.

"Did you carve these yourself?" Raiquen asked Link, tenderly holding the gifts. Link beamed.

"Yep! You seem like one who would enjoy music when times get dark, so I carved the flute for you. I can teach you to play, if you'd like. The raven is also an flute, but in a very different way. When you play it, the hawk that Lear gave to you will respond and come to your shoulder."

Raiquen wore the happiest smile, his gifts were incredible. "Thanks guys...you're the greatest family anyone could have!" he beamed. He carefully placed the flutes in his travel-pouch and dashed over to his Hawk-friend. Begonia smiled at her son's words, a tear escaped her eye. Lear wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders and Link joined Telma in saying goodbye to their friends. Begonia knew this was the closest they would ever get to having a true family, and she was grateful for it.

* * *

Link and Lear met in the hallway the next morning, their packs on their shoulders. The walked downstairs into the bar to find a flustered Begonia practically pacing the floor.

"Begonia, what's wrong?" Link asked.

"It's Raiquen, he's run off somewhere and we need to leave! I need to tie that boy's feet to the ground to keep him still!" Lear glanced at the empty cage with the rest of their supplies and placed her pack down next to the pile, calling to Begonia as she did.

"I have a hunch where he is, I'll go get him." Link glanced at the unsettled mother fuming about and quickly joined Lear by her side.

"Y'know, I'll help you." They walked out into the bright morning air and bustling town, making their way through the crowds towards Hyrule field. They walked out of the market's gates and found an ecstatic Raiquen looking towards the sky. He put the raven flute to his lips and blew a sweet note, watching as the hawk stooped in a swift dive towards her new master. It pulled up short and landed lightly on his gloved hand, and Raiquen pat her gently on her neck. He heard Lear's voice and turned.

"I knew you'd be quick friends! Have you found a name for her yet?"

Raiquen grinned as he pat his friend gently on the neck again. "Her name is Fia: bearer of the flame! What do you think?" Link nodded with a smile.

"I like it! Now we must hurry back to the bar...your mom was about to have a cow!" he said as they both turned to run. Raiquen had completely forgotten to tell his mom! He followed suit, letting Fia fly on her own. When the made their way to the bar, they found Begonia sitting on a chair with a deathly glare. Raiquen winced.

"Eh...good morning?" He said sheepishly. Begonia stood up and let out a sigh.

"Please, Raiquen...next time could you just let me know where you're going before you run off? And if you do go, you must keep your weapons with you!" she said as she placed his swords in his hands.

Raiquen nodded absently and sheathed his swords, following Link out of the bar with the supplies. They were very soon on their way and the day seemed in their favor as clouds covered the hot sun. The desert was bleak as always, and Lear read the wind that blew across it. She led the party on towards their destination: Arbiter's grounds. Raiquen, with Fia perched regally on his shoulder, conversed to Link about swordplay and fighting tactics while his mother shook her head at such talk. Lear's thoughts drifted to the destination where they were headed. She'd already made up her mind that her sister and nephew were not to join her and Link in the grounds.

Both horses slowed to a stop as they approached the entrance of the arbiter's grounds. Raiquen jumped off of Kivuli's back and darted towards the entrance, only to be stopped by Lear.

"No, Raiquen. You and Begonia will stay here while..." Begonia cut her off, walking towards the two.

"We are going with you."

"No, you are not! I don't want..."

"Stop it Lear. I know these grounds. You seek the mirror of twilight? I know how to get there." She said calmly. Link stood there with his mouth agape. How did she know they were going to find the mirror? Lear was about to speak again when Begonia entered the grounds with her cape flowing behind her. She was wearing armor, much similar to her husband. Only she knew this, however, and they followed her into the arbiter's grounds.

Lear had gone silent as they walked along, and Link side glanced at her from time to time. He playfully nudged her with his elbow.

"Hey, c'mon, we'll all be fine! Besides, she does know where the mirror is, and they're both great fighters. I'm sure they'll be no problem at all." She huffed and tossed her hair.

"Yeah, I just...worry, that's all." But she jumped slightly at the smallest of noises and glanced around every dark corner with a hint of fear in her face. Link grinned at her.

"You're afraid!" Lear whipped her head around with a glare as Begonia cut in with a laugh.

"Lear's greatest fear are dead bodies."

They walked into a room full of quicksand. Many platforms were available to stand on, however they each had distance between each other.

"Quicksand." Begonia stated simply.

"How do you know all this?" Link asked, curious.

"When Raiquen was only an infant, I carried him through this place...however, you guys will have it easy!" She said with a wink. She created shadowy bridges connecting each platform to one another and began to cross as if the quicksand didn't exist. Begonia laughed when she saw her companions hadn't crossed yet.

"Oh c'mon! They're perfectly safe!" Raiquen took the lead, jumping onto the shadowy bridge. Lear yelped as he did this, thinking he would fall through it. Raiquen landed perfectly, running across the bridges to meet his mom on the other side.

Link gave a smile to Lear that made her heart leap, not with fear this time, and he urged her to cross. She did so with him following, confident with his presence, and they continued on through the passages. Raiquen shivered after they'd encountered a room swarming with hungry scarab beetles and it had taken effort from the entire group to push them back. Even Begonia hesitated as they crossed a dark room and skeletons attacked them in waves. Link kept his wits about him beautifully, Lear noted. His courage was always greatest when he was protecting those he loved. The grounds made her terribly uneasy, however, and she dreaded the thought that at any moment, a Re-dead would shuffle sickingly towards them.

They continued to make their way through the grounds, following Begonia as if they were lost puppies. This made Lear wonder, however, why did her sister come here in the first place?

"Begonia, what made you come here...?" Begonia hesitated slightly, not sure how to respond. None of them truly knew what happened that fateful day.

"One hundred years ago...a tragic event occurred here. But that's a story for later..." Begonia said, leaving her companions to wonder. They hesitantly walked into a dark room, a foul stench lingered in the air. Suddenly, bars sprang up from behind them, blocking their exit and Begonia cursed.

"...I had forgotten about that trap. Stay back and keep your ears covered!" She hissed. She stepped forward a few steps but stopped as she watched two deathly creatures emerge from the ground.

"Re-deads!" Lear gasped. Link stepped in front of her and unsheathed his sword. He ignored Begonia and lunged forward, stabbing one of the Re-deads. His sword was stuck. The shrill of the dead rang in their ears as they fell to their knees.

"Raiquen...u-use your...fire!" Begonia yelled. The impaled re-dead suddenly made an attack and sunk its teeth into Link's shoulder. Just as he screamed, Raiquen sent a wall of flames at the re-deads, making them screech. Link pulled the sword from the creature and made the final kill. When they both had disappeared in a puff of smoke, Lear ran to his side and called for Begonia to use her power.

Link set his jaw and told the others that it was nothing to worry about, but Lear yelped when he sat down hastily with a wince. Begonia hurried over and healed his wound the best she could, while Raiquen looked on with a white face.

"It won't...turn him into one of them, will it?" Link could not help but smile at this, but Lear looked at Begonia in horror.

"No! For heaven sake's, no! Maybe if we had allowed the venom to spread a little bit longer, he would change quite a bit. But then we'd like looking at your face a lot more, wouldn't we, Link?" Begonia smirked. Lear helped him to his feet as he let out a fake laugh.

"Oh haha, yes. And you'd be the first I'd bite. Then you'd get to join in on the fun." Begonia snorted and turned to lead the way again.


	10. Chapter 10

They continued through the grounds, dodging traps and walking across quicksand on Begonia's shadowy-bridges. Many skeletons lay around, coming to life as they walked by, only to be killed once again by the blade of evil's bane. The group came upon a large door, which needed all four people to help open. Begonia led them there, thinking this was the exit, however her memory proved to not be as reliable as bars once again sprang up from the ground. Begonia let them walk ahead as she suddenly felt a presence in the room. She was being followed, and the moment she turned around she was face-to-face with Zant's helmet. He grabbed her wrists as she tried to hit him.

"Let go of me! You VILE man!" she screamed. Immediately, her companions turned to see Begonia being felt-up by the usurper king.

Lear sprang towards her struggling sister, tapping into her new power as she did so. Zant turned and was smacked backwards onto the ground by a muzzle full of sharp teeth. She attacked him furiously and heard Link's own snarl beside her as Raiquen yelled elsewhere. They were suddenly snapping at air as Zant disappeared in a cloud of evaporating Twilight. He appeared behind them, across the room with fists curled and manner threatening. Both wolves stepped in front of the humans behind them and growled deep as their fur stood on end. Zant yelled above their threats.

"Looks like I made a mistake in cursing you in such a way, Link! Give me that girl there and I'll stay far away from you for good..." His hand pointed at Begonia behind them. Lear growled deeper and Link snarled in his wolf voice.

"Come closer now and you're sure to stay away for good!"

Zant laughed, standing upon a giant skeleton head in the center of the room.

"If you do not give her to me now, I WILL have her later!" He said as a sword appeared in his hand. He thrusted the blade into the giant skull and disappeared. Link and Lear returned to their normal selves and rushed over to Begonia.

"That man only wants me for my shadow ability. He's so disgusting...I could just spit!" Begonia said harshly as she brushed herself off.

"This isn't the first time he's approached my mom like that." Raiquen said, fully grossed out from seeing what had happened. Lear opened her mouth to speak when a loud roar erupted from the center of the room. The giant skeleton had come to life, and it didn't look friendly.

It stretched and cracks erupted throughout the room as it roared again and stared at them with purple eyes. Sand filled the cavity between them and the monster, and Lear turned to Link as he pulled out the item they had obtained hours before. Lear stared at him as he jumped on the spinner and cracked into the beast's spine, breaking it in two. Lear whipped towards Raiquen.

"You watch your mom and if Zant appears again, yell for me!" He nodded as she turned and ran towards the battle. The monster lurched towards Link with an open maw, desperate to crush the hero between it's jaws. Link leaped out of the way with a confident grin, but it quickly disappeared as he tripped over a skeleton that had leaped and attacked. He took it out with his sword and turned to see the jaws right above him.

Lear immediately took action and sent a gust of wind towards the beast. It barely missed Link when it tried taking a bite out of him. It rose into the air and reared up for an attack. All at once, the three element bearers threw an element sphere at it. With an explosion, it fell to the floor. Link and Lear sliced left and right with their blades until the skull cracked and Zant's sword fell from its place. With a puff of smoke, the skeleton was gone and Raiquen jumped on Link's back, telling him how cool he was. Begonia joined them and Lear let out a sigh of relief.

"Well," Link said with smile, "That wasn't all that bad!" Raiquen laughed and shoved him heartily, involving the two boys in an instant wrestling match. Lear and Begonia stared at them.

"How can you be rough-housing at a time like this?! We have to reach the mirror, now!" Begonia said as she grabbed Raiquen by the ear and led him out into the night. Lear looked down at Link and with a shrug, followed suit by grabbing his ear and pulling him to his feet, him making a fuss the entire way. She ran out the door ahead of him as he chased after her up a flight of stairs to the mirror chamber. Begonia stood in the middle, Raiquen by her side, staring at the scene in front of her. Midna appeared as Link approached the shattered mirror.

Begonia fought hard to keep in the tears she longed to shed. There she was, staring at the black wall that had taken her husband from her. Raiquen too, stared at the massive wall. Their attention was drawn to Midna, whom was fretting over the broken mirror.

"H-he did this!" she snarled.

"Now what do we do?" Link asked. He was answered by the voices of the sages. They told them of the evil deed Zant had done, destroying the mirror. Their words soon began to speak of what happened, 100 years ago. This caught Begonia's attention, and she listened intently to what they had to say. They spoke of Ganondorf. They had said that they banished him because he was ruthlessly evil, and lusted for power.

"That's not true!" Begonia screamed, catching everyone's attention.

Lear glanced back up at the sages as she walked towards her sister.

"Begonia, it is...to an extent. You only saw the good side of Ganondorf, how he treated you was very different from who he really was-" Begonia turned on her.

"No, YOU never saw the good side! He was a good man, I know he was!" Link opened his mouth to say something but Lear spoke again in a calm voice.

"I saw enough of his bad side to outlaw the good side that I never saw. He killed for pleasure, he lusts after evil, and he's tried one to many times to kill Link and me. I'm sorry that your husband is gone, but I'm greatly happy that Ganondorf will never return." Silence echoed across the desert after her words and the sages looked at one another. Raiquen drew closer to Link looking at his face for a sign of understanding.

Tears ran fully down Begonia's face. She felt so alone. Why couldn't they understand? Her husband only wanted to give his people the freedom they lost when they were banished to the desert.

"G-give...him back to me..." her voice quivered. She turned towards the black wall that consumed her husband.

"Give him back!" she wailed, pounding her fists against it. Her sister couldn't bare to watch her and turned away. Soon, Raiquen was at his mother's side, trying to stop her. She fell to her knees and let her son comfort her.

"It's all my fault..." she whispered, "I-if only I..." she trailed off. Raiquen stood up and pointed an accusing finger at his aunt.

"So, you're just going to let my mom...your sister, cry? I don't understand..." he trailed off as Midna spoke.

"That's enough...!"

Almost, as if out of nowhere, Zant had made his appearance once again. He grabbed Begonia's arm and violently pulled her to her feet.

"I told you I would return." he hissed. Link and the others drew forth their blades, ready to fight. Ganondorf and Zant fought for control once again, and Begonia turned to face him. She had tears running down her face still, and the moment Ganondorf saw this, he took control of Zant's body. He wiped away a tear, only causing Begonia to turn away in disgust.

"Why...are you crying?" he asked. If only he could hold her, with his own arms. He desperately wanted to kiss her tears away.

"Zant! Why have you broken the mirror? You stupid bastard!" Midna screamed.

Zant glanced her way and chuckled low. "Midna, Midna...I'm surprised you're still alive after what I did to you the last time we met. No doubt that whelp of a boy helped you escape from that one..." Midna hardly seemed put-out. She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"But you couldn't destroy the mirror, could you? Only the true ruler of the Twilight can do such a thing. That's too bad that you could but shatter such a mirror, as you have no more power than a lowly servant..." Here Zant raised his lips in a grimace underneath his helmet and Begonia was able to use his hesitation to squirm away and run towards the group.

"You'll pay for that, Twilight Princess." He spat the last words and disappeared in a dark cloud.

"I'm really getting sick of people trying to kidnap me." Begonia said, finished with her crying. "I apologize for the way I acted...It's just that I kept it in...for 100 years. But there's no changing what happened. You're right...he's gone! I just have to move forward." Begonia said with a sigh. No one dared ask Midna about what Zant had said, for she was still fuming. She turned to the rest of the group.

"Let's get moving before that bastard gets in our way again!" She said as she disappeared into the shadows. Link led the way down the tower and into the desert where they would separate once again. Not very many words were spoken as they traveled, but once they reached the desert edge, it almost seemed like they exploded with words.

"Link, can I PLEASE go with you?"

"No" the adults simultaneously responded.

"You just want to be alone with Lear!" Raiquen smirked, punching Link in the arm. They, once again, immediately began to wrestle.

Lear looked towards her sister. Was she still made at her? Begonia banished away these fears by gripping her in a rib-crushing hug.

"I'm sorry. You be careful out there, all right?" Lear nodded and hugged her back.

"I'm sorry too. Truly I am...We'll check back with you in a couple of days." The two turned towards the boys, watching as Link held Raiquen's face down in the sand.

"You give up yet, hm?" Lear rolled her eyes.

"Link. LINK." He looked up as Raiquen shoved him hard to the ground.

"C'mon, let's get going, shall we?" He helped himself to his feet, dusting off his tunic with a sheepish smile.

"Sure thing, Lear. Let's go! Raiquen, you watch after your mom and any one else who may need your help, alright? You're a hero now and that's what heroes do."

Raiquen grinned with pride, happy that he had been called a hero. "Don't worry, you can count on me! Take care of my aunt!" he said with a wink. Link shook his head and mounted Epona, Lear sat behind him. When he spurred Epona into a gallop, they watched them gallop into the sunset. Begonia smiled and began setting up camp without a word. Soon, her son joined her and they sat around Raiquen's 2-second camp fire.

"Mom, what are we going to do tomorrow?" he asked.

"Well, we need to travel again...to visit people and make sure things are running smoothly..." she said, gazing thoughtfully at the stars that began to dot the sky. Raiquen began to think about his father. What was he like? Was he really evil like the sages had said?

Raiquen played with a loose piece of leather on his boot, side-glancing at his mom as he did so.

"Mom?" He asked. She was busy setting the tent right.

"Hm?"

The boy let out a breath of air and hesitated, but he thought of how adult he had felt when Link had called him a hero. He gathered his courage and spoke.

"What was he like? Dad, I mean..."

Begonia dropped the picket and the tent collapsed flatly. She busied herself with the fabric, and Raiquen tried to catch her eye. He edged closer and held the hope in his heart that she would finally tell him all about his father...Finally she turned his way, but continued to avoid his eye.

Begonia opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure of how to start. Letting out a sigh, she decided to finally begin.

"Your father...was a strong, brave man...you look a lot like him..." Raiquen listened intently, his mouth slightly agape.

"Really?" Begonia nodded.

"Yes. You have your father's eyes..." she brushed his bangs to the side and smiled, "he loved his people, even though he didn't show it. And I won't deny the words your aunt said...he did kill people...but they were people that opposed him...threatened his people." Raiquen looked entranced, trying to imagine what his father looked like.

"Did he love you?" Begonia smiled and looked at the stars. An unnoticed tear slipped down her cheek.

"Yes...he did. Why, I remember the day we found out I was pregnant with you. He was so nervous! And the look in his eyes when he felt you kick for the first time...I will never forget it." she said with a slight laugh. When she looked at her son, she found him smiling. She extended her arms out to him, and he fell into his mother's arms. He cried. The last time he had cried...was so long ago.

"I...w-wish I knew him." he said quietly.

"I know...I know." She said soothingly while running her hands through his hair. "Perhaps someday..."

Raiquen nodded softly and let his thoughts wander. He hardly dared to believe the bad that had been said of his father. The only thing he knew was his mother's words. But he couldn't help wondering why Lear had reacted in such a way to his mother. Had she really hated him that much? He felt a twinge of anger at this but dismissed it immediately. Fia clicked her beak gently nearby and he was reminded of his aunt's love for him. He finally fell on the thought that he would have to question her the next time he saw her.

"Now, help me pitch up this tent, yeah?" Begonia said as she let go of her son. Raiquen nodded and helped his mother pitch up the tent. Within a matter of a minute or so, their tent was up and they rested inside of it. They watched the shadows dance on the fabric of the tent, their movements lulling them to sleep.

"I love you, Mom." Raiquen said with a yawn.

"And I you...good-night, Raiquen." Begonia said quietly.

They slept peacefully at the edge of the desert, resting well for the day that lay ahead of them.

* * *

Thanks for reading!! I'll try to make sure I post more often, even though I have school. XD

I have some pieces of artwork posted on my deviantart page...if you want to see them, then go to my profile page and click the link. XD

**Disclaimer: I don't own the nintendo characters.**

**However, I do own Begonia and Raiquen. My writing partner owns Lear.**


	11. Chapter 11

Link and Lear slowly across Hyrule Field in the velvet night. Navi had fallen asleep in Lear's hat; Even Lear felt herself fall asleep from time to time, resting her head on Link's shoulder, but listened in on the conversation he was quietly sharing with Midna.

"Would I be correct in guessing that as the Twilight Princess, you're the only one who can destroy that mirror?" Link asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"You are correct. And now that Zant's broken the mirror into pieces, it will be even harder to put it back together and finally destroy it once and for all." Link was silent for quite some time.

"And you will disappear along with it?" He finally spoke. Midna looked out across the plain.

"By destroying the mirror, I destroy the link between your world and mine. Neither world will be plagued by the evils that both worlds share any longer." She looked at him. "It is what's best, Link."

Link nodded in agreement. Midna was right, if the link was gone, then such evils will never taunt them again.

"Midna...who exactly, is Zant..?" Link asked hesitantly. He had wondered this for a while, and only Midna would know the answer. Midna groaned at the sound of _his _name.

"All I know, is that he once loved me. But that quickly turned to hate...listen, I don't want to talk about this." Midna said, annoyed. The truth was, that she wanted to avoid the possibility of slipping out the fact that they once were a couple...but that was in the past. She never wanted to think of it again. She promptly ended the conversation and disappeared into the shadows. Link sighed, _'This is way too complicated...' _he thought to himself.

"I feel bad for her..." Lear mumbled and Link rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

She softly snorted. "Hardly. Are we anywhere near a real place to sleep?" He urged Epona on as he spoke.

"We'll reach the market within the hour." The quiet of the night enveloped them and he thought she'd fallen asleep. He blinked as she spoke again.

"Midna's very strong. I was wrong in judging her." He laughed quietly.

"It's a fault that every person in this or any world shares. I'm sure Midna's made her own judgments and had them proved wrong; I wouldn't be surprised if very recently." And he winked at his shadow riding on the ground beside them, cast by the moon's light. She nodded and gave a tired smile.

"Are we there yet?" She mumbled.

"In a few minutes, we will be." Link said as the market gates came into view. They rode in silence as they approached the gate. Link dismounted Epona and helped the sleepy Lear off of Epona's back. Link smiled at her as she rubbed her eyes. He picked her up, one arm under her legs and the other under her back.

"Gahhh...put me down..." Lear said with a yawn. Link grinned.

"Don't think so. You'd just fall asleep if I did!" Lear didn't complain, she was too sleepy. She fell asleep on the way to the inn, and when they arrived, Link brought her to a room and placed her onto her bed. With a smile, he placed a kiss on her forehead and went to his own room.

* * *

Thunder cracked in the sky above the Hyrule Castle throne room. The Usurper King paced angrily around the room, struggling with his thoughts.

"What is so great about that whelp? So great that she spits upon my name?" he growled, punching a column. Zant had been furious to see his princess turn against him, taking the side of the hylians.

_'Speak with the princess of Hyrule. She knows more than what she has told you.'_ a deep voice spoke, within Zant's mind. He cursed aloud, turning upon his heel towards the long and winding staircase. He stormed up the stairs in a quick pace, and in his angry path, he almost blew the doors off their hinges when he came to Zelda's room.

"Tell me the truth about that whelp in green!" Zant bellowed underneath his helmet. Zelda whipped around in shock, taking a couple steps back.

"I-I don't know anything..."

"You're lying, Princess. And I thought a person in your stature would be a truthful one..."

Zelda's hands shook slightly but she raised herself to full stature. If there was ever a time to tell a convincing lie, this would be it.

"I told you, Zant. I know nothing about the boy, other than the fact that he's fighting against you." She flinched when Zant hurled a chair into the opposite wall, shattering it into shards across the room.

"That's it then...I'll just have to destroy him as soon as possible, won't I?" He sneered under his helmet in her direction. "And I don't think that such a petty little kid could possibly make a difference in the life of Princess Zelda."

Zelda let out a small gasp, reaffirming to Zant that she was lying once again.

"Ah, so you do care about the boy." he chuckled, lifting Zelda from the ground by her neck as the tongue of his helmet pulled away. "Now, be a good Princess, and tell me the truth. Otherwise, within minutes your petty kingdom will be in ruins." he sneered. Zelda gasped for air, barely choking out that she would speak. She landed on her knees and rubbed her neck, looking back at the smirk that lay upon Zant's lips.

"I'm waiting, Princess."

Her eyebrows furrowed as her conscience hesitated for only a moment. Then she stood up again and clenched her fists.

"He's strong enough to destroy this spell that you've cast upon my land, and he also holds the power to completely destroy you and your intentions! He will save Hyrule!" She knew that she'd been rash, but continued to stare Zant down.

"I thought you said she knew." Zant muttered angrily to himself. Zelda watched in confusion as the Usurper King talked to himself like a madman.

_'Leave her be...for now.'_

"How can you say that? She knows something, I KNOW IT!" Zant yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the figure below him. Zelda only backed away as far as she could, fearful for her own safety. Before long, Zant's helmet regained its form and he turned his back.

"You've made a mistake, Princess. I will be back." he stormed out of the room and slammed the door, leaving Zelda in a confused daze.

Zant would just have to question his God instead...there must be something he's hiding.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for such a long wait!!

**Disclaimer: I don't own the nintendo characters.**

**However, I do own Begonia and Raiquen. My writing partner owns Lear.**


	12. Chapter 12

Lear woke up to Link knocking on her door. She opened it slightly, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Good morning! Aren't you ready yet?"

Link beamed like the sun itself, and seemed all too cheerful for such an early time. She looked over at the clock ticking on her wall and realized that it was much later than she'd realized.

"Uh, yeah, just give me a minute!"

Link smirked as she shut the door with a panicked face. She hurried down the stairs some time later, huffing and dragging her bags, and panted as Link thanked Telma and helped Lear with her equipment. They rode along Hyrule Field towards the snow peak mountain and Lear contemplated why time was none too fair at times. It seemed a funny concept of thought, and she irritably rubbed her nose to abandon it.

They both kept silent as they traveled, thinking about earlier events. For some reason, which was unknown to them, it seemed like what they were forced to do, was all a part of a plan. Is this what the goddesses and the sages wanted? When they came to Zora's Domain, they dismounted Epona and looked around.

"Ehehehe! Now that you're here, shall we find our way?" Midna said as she appeared from the shadows, the shadowy object in her hand. Link and Lear looked at each other and nodded. Once again, they would travel as wolves.

* * *

The two wolves bounded across the snow easily, allowing their wolf instincts to find joy in the white blanket across the mountain. They ran and barked along, unaware of the white eyes emerging from the powder to glare at them. Link felt his ear's twitch back at the sound of running paws behind him, and turned too slowly to find a white wolf leaping on him with open jaws. He dodged and the jaws barely missed his neck while he retaliated with a snarl and snap of his own teeth. The attacker howled and growled with hair on end and looked ready to attack again when Lear stood next to Link with her teeth bared.

They both barked and snarled at their foe, waiting for it to make the next move. The moment it lunged forward, the two wolves counterattacked. They rolled on the ground with snarls upon their muzzles and the attacker ran from its victims.

"Being a wolf definitely has its benefits." Link said as he turned to continue up the mountain. The two wolves joyously ran through the snow. For what seemed like a long time, was short as they came upon the peak of the mountain. Midna had them transform, too soon in their minds as they approached a large Yeti. He turned and squinted at them in the frosty air. His eyes widened.

"OH! YOU LOOK FOR MIRROR? WIFE HAS ONE, SHE SICK. FOLLOW ME!"

The huge yeti ran to a tree near to him and smacked into it, dislodging a frozen leaf. He promptly jumped on and, kicking with his foot, began to snowboard down the mountain with a hearty laugh. Lear stared down the hillside at the yeti growing smaller in the distance and felt a sickening feeling rise in her. She jumped and turned as Link ran in to the tree and picked up the ice-leaf lying on the ground. He held it in one hand and placed the other on his hip as he raised an eyebrow at her and grinned.

"Well, you ready to have some fun?"

Lear picked up another smooth chunk of ice and sighed. "We'll see how much fun..."

Lear set the chunk of ice on the snow and hesitantly jumped onto it. She let out a sigh and before she could start kicking her way, Link came up from behind her and pushed her. He laughed as she let out a startled scream, jumping onto the ice-leaf and kicking with his foot.

"How're you holding up?" Link asked as he caught up to Lear.

"I would've been fine if you hadn't pushed me!"

Link laughed heartily. "Oh c'mon! You know you wouldn't have gone if I hadn't done it. I'll race you to the bottom!" he said with a grin. He crouched low and gained speed, Lear doing the same.

"I don't think so, fairy-boy!"

She balanced her weight from foot to foot, watching the ground and Link at her side. She feared that any moment she'd hit a chunk of ice hidden in the snow and tumble through the powder at high speeds. But Link distracted her fear as he gathered more speed and laughed, his hair whipping in the wind. Navi gave up trying to keep up with him and disappeared with a blur into his hat. Lear, however, crouched lower and felt the wind flow faster through her hair. The wind! She'd win this match for sure. She felt it at her face, pawing at her with invisible fingers, and urged it to push her from behind. Gusts gathered and pressed her from behind and she sped forward, passing a startled Link.

Link crouched forward even more in hopes that he would catch up. However, as they reached the bottom and neared a large mansion, they were caught off guard by the sudden drop. Both crashed their ice-leaves onto the pavement and rolled forward several feet.

"Ahaha! Wow! What a ride!" Link laughed.

"Yeah, and I still beat you!" Lear said as she stood up. Navi flew out from underneath Link's hat and stared at the mansion in awe.

"Wow. Nice place..."

Link and Lear nodded in agreement and cautiously walked over to the door. Inside there was a large staircase, and an unfinished one; a large patch of ice sat in between them. Lear looked around and shivered in the chill air.

"Where'd the yeti go?" She questioned.

"Hmm. Let's explore around, he's bound to be here somewhere." He led the way across the ice patch and opened a large door into a cozy, fire-warmed chamber. Lear followed and blinked as a female yeti sat by the fire. Link smiled and her and led Lear towards her as they introduced themselves.

"I Yeta. You want mirror? I have it. Monsters come when I get mirror, so I lock it on top floor. I mark your map?" She spoke weakly and coughed as she marked the map Link was holding out to her.

"Are you sick?" Lear asked sympathetically. Yeta nodded with a sigh.

"Husband make soup..." Lear nodded and looked towards where she thought the kitchen was. Link rolled up the map, thanking Yeta and wishing her good health.

Link led the way through a door to the right of the kitchen and into another frozen room. "Geez, this place is completely frozen!" Lear said with a shudder. Link wasn't paying attention to where he was walking; he walked onto a patch of ice and slipped.

"Nice going, Link!" Navi darted around his head and Lear laughed.

"Need a hand?" she extended a hand and he took it, only to cause her to also slip and fall onto Link. They stared at each other for a moment and blushed furiously, fumbling to get up. Midna's voice cackled from the shadows.

_"Having problems?"_

Link slipped again slightly as he stood up. "Here," He said while reaching for her hands.

"I think I've found my balance! Don't drag me down with you!" She struggled to get to her feet and finally stood while they both laughed. She found her face close to his and she wasn't quite as cold with him around. Smiling, she looked away shyly.

"Thank-you." His characteristic half-smile spread across his face and he led the way carefully, still holding her hand.

"You're welcome. Now, let's find that mirror shard and get out of this frozen mansion." They picked and slid their way among ice pockets and slick ground, Lear clutching at his hand when she slipped.

They came across a large storage room with an ice-covered chest in the back. Link whipped out his map to check where they were, "…this is the room!" he said triumphantly. Lear looked around to find small ice creatures with one eye staring at them.

"Link…what are those?" Link turned to look in the direction Lear was pointing.

"I…don't know." He cautiously walked over to it and kicked it with his foot, however, the moment he did that his entire leg was covered with ice. Lear practically screamed and rushed over to him.

"Lear, can you break the ice? I seriously can't feel my leg." he laughed. Lear took out her sword and chipped away the ice with the but of the blade.

"Raiquen's abilities certainly would come in handy right about now." He laughed and waited while she slowly chipped at the ice. He was soon able to pull his foot from the ice-creature and shake the feeling back into it.

"Whew, glad that's over! Thanks for helping me with that. Let's avoid those nasty 'lil things from now on, okay?" Lear rolled her eyes while nodding her head, and supported Link as they made there way over to the chest. He kicked it open, still trying to knock the feeling back into it, and reached inside. His face bore a confused expression as he pulled out a ring of...Ordonian goat cheese.

"Well, this isn't right..." He said. Midna appeared next to them and looked irritated.

"No, it's nowhere near right! That yeti mixed up the treasure chests! Go back and get the right one marked!" She disappeared and Link looked cautiously over at Lear.

"What are we supposed to do with that?" she asked, watching as Link smelled it in remembrance of his village.

"I dunno...eat it?" he laughed. They made their way back to the kitchen, slipping on patches of ice on the way, thinking that maybe Yeto would make use of their discovery. Link gave the cheese to Lear and approached the large beast.

"Hey, we found..."

"WHAT THAT SMELL??" he whacked Link aside and snatched the cheese from Lear's hands. "SMELL LIKE CHEESE, UH! GOOD FOR SOUP." he said with a hearty laugh. He threw the cheese into the giant cauldron in the center of the room and Link almost wanted to hurl. The soup contained reekfish-heads.

"YOU TASTE?" Yeto asked and held out a spoonful of soup.

Link hesitated but Lear politely grabbed the spoon and sipped the hot concoction. "It's very good, Yeto!" She laughed. Yeto nodded furiously.

"AND IT GOOD FOR YOU, TOO. I GET YOU SOME." Lear packed up the bottles that Yeto had filled with the hearty soup and looked around for Link. He was gone and she sighed as she felt that empty feeling fill her when he was never around. At first it had surprised her, but now she knew when she felt it and what it was. Assuming he was having their map re-marked, she slid through the door and felt warmth fill her again as she watched him comfort Yeta and roll the map back up.

"Try once more..." Yeta whispered and gazed at the fire. He put a finger to his lips as he walked over to Lear and led the way out of the chamber.

"She thinks the mirror shard is near where we found the cheese. Let's hurry, I don't think she'll be feeling well enough to help us later."

Lear nodded and let Link show the way at a quick pace. In such a place as the frozen mansion, they continued to slip and slide their way. They fought keese, and many new ice creatures until they came to the room on the map.

"What's the cause for all these monsters?" Lear asked as Link broke the ice encased-chest.

"I don't know, maybe…agh! Pumpkin?!" Link held a large orange pumpkin in his hands, trying not to show his annoyance.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Link! We'll find it soon enough. C'mon!" she turned around and slipped on the ice. Link helped her up, and with a smile, he held her hand again and led the way back to the kitchen. At least Yeto could make use of it!

Yeto was once again more than a little excited as he snatched the pumpkin from Link's hands and dropped it into the boiling vat of soup. And, once again, Lear refilled their glass bottles and watched as Link had the map re-marked by Yeta again.

"This time, I sure. Go here for mirror." She said and looked sorry for the trouble she had given the two. They sped off again, Lear irritated and Midna absolutely in bad spirits. Link just shook his head.

"She's sick, no wonder she kept giving us bad directions. I'm sure her head is feeling fuzzy right now, and I'm surprised she's even well enough to help us!" Lear was quiet after that, knowing he was right and feeling honored to just be near him. They soon found themselves out of the treacherous mansion and making their way up a curved, snowy balcony. As they walked through the swirling snow storm, Midna suddenly spoke with a husky voice.

"What is she doing here?" The two looked in the direction of her voice and were shocked to find Yeta standing at the entrance to her room where the mirror was concealed.

"Husband's soup good, uh. Make Yeta better! I show you mirror." Link and Lear looked at each other and shrugged. They followed the yeti into a giant bedroom and found the mirror piece hanging on the far wall. Yeta walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection, meanwhile muttering how pretty it was. Her voice grew louder as she began to twitch, suddenly turning around with a monstrous face.

"YOU NOT TAKE MIRROR!" Out of impulse, Link suddenly grabbed Lear and stood between her and the monster. It flew into the air and incased itself in ice.

"I suddenly wish Raiquen were here. Run for it!" Link yelled as the ice beast crashed down where they once stood. "Lear, how well will your water ability work against this thing??"

Lear dodged ice crystals falling from the ceiling. "I don't know, this water's all frozen!" Link grabbed her and pulled her out of the way of the monstrous Yeta falling from above.

"Well, do something! Anything!" She couldn't concentrate with all this chaos and she tried to clear her head.

"Alright, I'll try!" Running the best she could on the ice, she slid to the middle of the chamber. Link look horrified and angry at the same time as the monster Blizzeta's attention was directed at her. With a scream, she sent ice shards falling towards the figure below her. Lear could think of nothing to do but hold up her hands and urge the water to help. She heard Link yell and felt a rush of cold air.

Lear found herself trapped in a circle of ice shards and looked up. Blizzeta looked like it was about to plummet on top of her. With a plea to the water sage, she held up her hands with her eyes closed. Link frantically looked around, and to his surprise, a large ball and chain lay in the corner of the room. He slid to the corner, and with all the strength he could muster, he swung the large iron ball into one of the shards. "Lear! WATCH OUT!" he closed his eyes as the monster fell, and when he opened them again, he found Lear holding her hands towards the beast. They glowed a blue color, and suddenly she was given the ability to summon water from the air; water covered the beast, and it froze it to the ground.

Lear leaped out of the space in the shards that Link had made and stumbled away. She collapsed to her knees, panting slightly, and turned around to see Link hurl the iron ball into the immovable monster Blizzeta. With a final scream and shattering of ice, Blizzeta slid across the ground and growled at him weakly from across the room. She began to transform back into her original self, and Yeta slowly sat on the ground and shook her head several times.

"Wha..? What happen? Where Yeto?"

The room slowly returned to its normal state as the mirror piece floated in the air. Suddenly, with a large roar, Yeto burst through the door and shoved Link to the side.

"That's the third time he shoved me like that..." Link muttered to himself. Midna had already taken the mirror piece and from the shadows, she urged them to leave the yetis to their reunion. They did as they were told and traveled without a word to the front door of the mansion. Exhaustion was beginning to take its toll, and Lear sat down on the steps.

"Lear? Are you okay? ...I saw what you did." Link said as he joined her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah...that took a lot out of me. I suppose I just mastered my water ability! I had no idea I could do that!" she laughed.

She sighed as he laughed and continued to try to catch her breath, not only from exhaustion this time.

"Well, If we ever face a giant ice monster again, you'll know what to do..." He said and shook his head with a smile. She smiled too but frowned almost immediately as Midna appeared.

"Good. You've recovered once mirror shard. Now let's go find the rest of them, shall we?" She crossed her arms impatiently in the air. Link frowned too.

"No 'thank-you' or anything to express gratitude from you?" Lear laughed quietly and hit him inconspicuously with her elbow. Midna floated over to him and rested her elbows on his shoulder.

"Thank-you so much dear hero for nearly killing yourself to get this mirror shard; which, I might add, will be the cause of your death anyway if you don't get the last of the shards." She smiled coyly at him. "Happy?" Lear glared at her as he half-smiled.

"Not really."

The shadow imp rolled her eyes and floated in front of them again as he spoke with a smirk. "I get the point. Ready to go, Lear?"

Lear glared at the shadow imp. "Yes, I'm ready." To make her point, she slipped her hand into Link's, making him smile. Midna only rolled her eyes and disappeared into the shadows. Underneath Link's hat, Navi bounced on his head.

"Hey! Link! When are you going to ask her?" Link blushed and turned his head to the side.

"Soon, Navi. Be patient..."

"Hm?"

Link smiled. "Ah, it's nothing. Navi was just wondering when we're getting off this mountain."

Lear nodded and they continued their way down the mountain, undisturbed by the monsters that once existed in the snow.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!!

**Disclaimer: I don't own the nintendo characters.**

**However, I do own Begonia and Raiquen. My writing partner owns Lear.**


	13. Chapter 13

I am SO sorry! Life and school caught up with me, and it was hard to sit down and edit this chapter so that I could post it.

Bloody Emma: Thank you so much for your review, if you hadn't sent that, I wouldn't have gotten this chapter up 'til later!

* * *

Raiquen sighed angrily and blew the raven whistle across the field. Fia arrived on his shoulder just as his mother called out from across the wind again.

"I'm coming, Mom!" He shouted back, causing the bird to flap its wings in agitation. He gathered his weapons and gear from the ground and began to walk back towards the entrance to Kakariko Village. This village had become his only home over the last several months, and he was a bit ashamed to find himself wanting to continue to stay there. Begonia stood tapping her foot at the entrance to the inn, pointing towards the storage shed in the back of the building.

"You know what time dinner is at, young man!" She huffed as he sulked towards the shed with his equipment. With his mother back in the building, he shoved his possessions into the shed and ran to the mailbox near the front door. Fia squawked and ruffled her tail feathers as he reached into the darkness of the box, but his hand withdrew nothing. He sighed again and stroked the bird's feathers moodily. He had hoped that they'd received another letter from Link and Lear, telling of their adventures elsewhere and whether they were finding all the mirror shards.

He pushed the door open and absentmindedly let Fia into her cage. Usually, the smell of fresh bread made him devour all food that was in sight, but today he just wasn't interested. Begonia however, noticed this as she placed the loaf of bread on the table.

"No word from them yet?" Raiquen frowned, resting his chin on his fist.

"No...and they promised they would write to us!" Begonia sighed and took a seat next to her son. She couldn't find the right words to say, and so they sat in silence. Finally, Raiquen began to pick at his food, wearing the same face that his father did when he was bothered by something. Begonia laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Ah, sorry, Raiquen. I just...well, the look on your face made me think of your father!"

He raised an eyebrow and turned back to his food, the heavy weight of irritation still on his chest. He didn't feel like talking at the moment, and he was going to show it. His mom must have noticed or she was clueless of his rotten mood as she talked to the other villagers around her. Raiquen glared around him and caught Beth's eye. The children from Ordon were still staying with them in Kakariko-for safety-and he had become fast friends with all of them. Beth was the tom-boy of the group, and she enjoyed to hang around with Raiquen and watch him as he made fire-birds fly through the air. This evening, however, she was one of the few to notice his bad mood and she kept his gaze.

"Are you ok?" She mouthed, and he nodded glumly. He knew he would tell her later of all the things he was feeling, but now was not the time. The door to the inn opened and he didn't even bother to turn around, thinking it was most likely Malo getting off from his evening work.

"Lear!" His mom cried, and this caused his head to bolt upright and whip around.

"LINK!"

"Hey, Raiquen!" Link grinned. Raiquen gave the hero a hug, much like a child would to his father. He beamed with happiness, even though just a moment ago he was in a foul mood. He wanted to ask him so many questions about his latest adventures, but he wasn't the only one who was happy to see him. Before long, the villagers had Link and Lear surrounded, greeting them and congratulating them for their success.

"Sounds like a good time for stories around a campfire." Renado interrupted, gesturing the villagers outside. Begonia and Lear chatted away, making up for lost times and joining the villagers outside. Raiquen's mood turned again as he turned away from the door. He just wanted to talk to Link! And now he won't get the chance.

"Hey, you coming?"

Link stood with his eyebrow raised and beckoned towards the door. The boy grinned and ran outside, waiting for Link to follow. They both walked over to the campfire and sat down next to the villagers. Raiquen plopped down next to Link and began to fire questions at him.

"Whoa, slow down!" Link laughed and answered his questions the best he could.

"Have you found all of the mirror shards?" Raiquen asked with eager eyes. Link spoke low with his eyes also bright.

"We sure have. It's time to put that mirror back together and restore Hyrule to its rightful state." The boy nodded eagerly.

"And I can help, right?!" Lear interrupted from Link's other side.

"I don't think so, buddy. It's going to be quite dangerous." Lear found herself facing two arguing boys and she furrowed her brows at them.

Begonia listened as she sat next to her son. She decided she had the final say in the matter.

"Oh, stop arguing! We will go with you to restore it, but that's all. Understood?" she wore her glare of death, and not even Link wanted to retort. They nodded in defeat, and Raiquen practically jumped up in excitement.

"So, when are we leaving??" Link rolled his eyes and pulled him back to his seat. Raiquen began to play with the fire, and Link turned to Begonia.

"Hey, Begonia? Could I talk to you for a second?"

"Alright." she replied, standing up from her seat. The two went inside the inn, and Link began to pace the room.

"Link, whatever it is, just spit it out!" Begonia said with her arms crossed. Link stopped and looked at her, afraid of what she'd think.

"Okay…I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do this in the glaicien culture…but it's proper in mine. And you're the only one I can ask." Begonia raised an eyebrow, unsure of where he was going with this. "I was wondering if it's alright with you…if I asked Lear to marry me." he said quickly, now out of breath. The two just stared at each other for some time until Begonia grinned and enveloped him in a hug.

"I've been waiting for you to FINALLY come to your senses! I know she'll say yes. Now, we must return to the campfire." Link followed her outside and took their places around the campfire once again. He felt numb with joy as he resumed his seat. He stared into the fire and a smile broke out on his face. Lear's voice broke the spell, but it cast another all of its own.

"What was that all about?" She asked with a puzzled expression. Happiness still clouded his feelings and he found that he couldn't speak without breaking into a grin. He just shrugged his shoulders and stayed silent despite her questionings. She finally gave up and turned to Begonia next to her, trying her luck on her sister. Raiquen also stared up at Link.

"Are you and my mom finally getting along?"

Link smirked. "Practically like family." Raiquen looked confused at this, but he decided to stop badgering him about what had happened; for now, at least.

Some time went by as the villagers sat around the campfire. Each person had an opportunity to tell a story, and before long, the fire finally began to die down. One by one, they left. Renado guided the groggy children away from the fire, and as Begonia walked by Link, she gave him a wink. Raiquen of course, protested and offered to keep the fire alive, but was dragged away by the ear. Link couldn't help but look at Lear, she was so beautiful, and his heart began to race. It was now, or never!

"Lear?" he took her hands in his and looked upon her smiling face.

"Yes?" He took a large breath.

"When I talked to your sister...I asked her a very important question...and, it concerned you."

Lear cocked her head, "What is it?"

"Well, I asked for her permission...to marry you." He caressed her cheek as tears began to water her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

She cried freely and felt her own heart fill with joy. There's was no longer fear about the future; just him. She nodded her head, slowly at first then more quickly.

"Yes, yes! Of course I will!" She cried and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and she found her face quite close to his once more. He then kissed her, placing his hands on her cheeks, and they both found it sweeter than anything they'd ever tasted.

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Thanks for reading! And I know...short chapter. However, this story is nearing its close, so stay tuned!


	14. Chapter 14

Happy New Year!! Please forgive me for taking so long to post this chapter! I've just been so very busy with school and such, that I had forgotten all about posting the chapters.

Well, now that it's posted, I hope you enjoy it!

_Disclaimer: I, nor my writing partner, own the Zelda characters, as they are owned by Nintendo. I however, own Begonia, Raiquen and Kivuli; My writing partner owns Lear._

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The morning sunrise shone through the windows of the inn, waking its inhabitants to a lovely day. Raiquen was the first to rise, and he jumped onto the foot of Link's bed, positively scaring him to death.

"GEEZ!! Get off my bed, Raiquen! I'm awake!" Raiquen grinned.

"So…what were you doing last night?? I saw you and Lear making out through this here window." he winked and ran out the door, Link on his tail. They wrestled on the floor for several minutes until Begonia came in and pulled the two apart.

"Alright, alright. Stop it. ENOUGH." Her loud voice broke them up and Raiquen made faces at Link from the other side of Begonia. Lear bounced down the stairs and gathered her pack onto her back in one sweep.

"Ready to go, everyone?" Begonia blinked at her while Raiquen stared.

"You're cheerful this morning." At this, Lear blushed and glanced at Link. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged, still held fast by Begonia's hand on his ear.

"Will you let me go...please?" He laughed.

"Oh! Sorry, Link." Begonia released him but still held the squirming Raiquen under one arm. Lear looked over at Link again, hoping that she hadn't dreamed what he had said last night. He looked over at her too and wore his smile that was just for her. The happiness that had filled her this morning came back into her heart.

"Agh...Mom! Let go!" Begonia watched as Link held Lear in a loving embrace. She knew what had happened the night before, just by watching them.

"Mom? Mom!! Did I miss something? Let me go!" Link laughed at Raiquen's misfortune. "That's what happens when you spy on people!"

Lear blushed, he had seen them? Begonia let go of her son and he ran outside to get ready. She too left the inn, helping her son gather his things for their trip.

Lear found herself alone with Link, just what she had wanted. He turned back to her and stroked his hand down her cheek.

"Ready to go, Lear?" She placed her own hand on his and look concerned.

"It's going to be dangerous..."

Midna suddenly shot between them, causing Lear to yelp and Link to jump. "Of course it's going to be dangerous! Forging the mirror back together is forging the connection between my world and yours. Zant had Ganondorf's help to break that bridge, but only I can destroy it. Zant knows this, and once we enter my realm, he'll be waiting."

Lear looked down. What had she expected, for them to live happily ever after and never have to face another powerful evil again? Her heart fell. Midna floated towards the door and opened it.

"Hurry up, they're waiting!" her voice came from the shadows. Link took Lear by the hand and led her away from the inn.

"Raiquen, do you want me to tell you what happened last night?" Begonia asked with a smile. Raiquen, whom was sitting on Kivuli's back, nodded furiously. He knew there was a secret going around, and he was just dying to know what it was.

"Link proposed to Lear last night." Raiquen hearing this, suddenly became re-acquainted with the floor, startling his mother.

"Oh Raiquen! Are you alright?" His only answer was a grin. With great speed, he picked himself up and ran after Link. When he found him, he jumped on his back, knocking him over.

"Whoa, Raiquen! What got you all riled up?"

"Mom told me about last night! Do you know what this means?? You're going to become my UNCLE!"

Lear blushed scarlet and slapped her forehead.

"Oh for heaven's sake..." But she could not help smiling wide as Link laughed and ruffled Raiquen's hair. They talked and laughed the whole way over to the stables, where Epona stood waiting. Begonia walked over to Lear, leading Kivuli by the reins, and stood next to her.

"I'm happy for you two." Lear's mouth turned up into a smile, still watching Link.

"I didn't think you'd ever want him around longer than needed, much less to have him as a new relative..." Begonia snorted and shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose I can stand his presence while you're around." Lear turned her head away from the boys and laughed with her sister.

Realization dawned on Begonia, and she stopped in her tracks. Once Link and Lear get married, Link would become Ganondorf's brother. How ironic was that? She suddenly hoped that they wouldn't figure it out. That could only make things more difficult, especially if her husband found out. _'Wait, what am I thinking? He's gone…' _

"Begonia? Is there something wrong?" Begonia shook her head and smiled.

"Nah, I'm good. Now, we should get going!" Lear watched her sister put on an act and mount her steed, she knew her sister well enough to know if something was on her mind. Before she could ask, Raiquen had suddenly jumped onto Kivuli and urged his Mom to start moving. She shook her head and mounted Epona, sitting behind Link. Saying their final goodbyes to the villagers, the two horses started forward towards the desert.

Raiquen turned again to look back at Epona and her passengers.

"Raiquen, stop! Don't you think that what you're doing may be just a little bit irritating?" The boy huffed and turned back around.

"Yeah, but it's so cool to have Link marry my aunt. Isn't that cool? Try and tell me that that's not cool." Begonia sighed.

"Yes, it's very cool. I'm happy for Lear." Raiquen nodded. "She seems very happy." He turned around again, being careful not to make it too obvious. They both seemed very happy as they laughed. He wondered what it would be like to be that close to a girl, and realized that the only girl he'd ever been real friends with was Beth from the village. They had been close friends, but Raiquen didn't think that he would ever have any stronger feelings towards her. He wondered if he could ever look at a girl the way Link looked at Lear.

Thoughts like these brought up questions about his father, once again. He couldn't resist asking them, especially after learning of his father.

"Mom? Did Dad look at you, like how Link looks at Lear?" Raiquen asked so quickly that it took Begonia a moment to answer.

"I believe so…but he always kept a straight face. Sometimes it was hard to read him. People who didn't know him like I did, always thought his happy smile was an evil one." She finished quietly. They continued to ride in silence, listening to the sounds that nature brought them. Soon, the sounds of Raiquen's flute filled the air, singing with the birds. He had taught himself to play, and it came to him as naturally as breath. Begonia wondered if her son might write music someday; clearly he inherited his father's talent!

Another musical melody filled the air alongside Raiquen's. He looked back to see Link playing his ocarina and smiled beneath his flute. Together they played sweeping melodies and drifting harmonies. The desert was no longer quite the wasteland that they had crossed the last time they'd been to the Mirror Chamber. The music stopped, however, as they neared their destination and slowed. Leaving the horses behind, the group entered the grounds and made their way towards the Chamber. Link and Lear now led the party, with mirror pieces stored safely away. The group was silent as they walked on, wondering what would happen when the mirror was whole once more. Midna appeared only when Link walked through the shadows; giving him instruction and warning. The group soon found themselves at the center of the mirror chamber.

As they approached the broken mirror, the pieces floated through the air and reassembled themselves into place. The now renewed mirror began to shine, just as it did 100 years ago. Memories attacked Begonia like a rushing wave, reminding her how the mirror was the cause for her husband's disappearance.

"Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant...The twilight there holds a serene beauty...You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world." Midna spoke quietly. She spoke of the things that happened in her world. How Zant changed, from loving her, to hating her. He placed a curse on the Twili, and she ran away.

She turned away from the stairs of light that were ascending up to the world of Twilight and towards Link and the others.

"Zant is waiting. Let's return my world back to normal, that's all I want for my people." Link nodded and began to walk up the stairs, Lear following. She stopped suddenly and turned on her heel.

"No. You two... you can't come." Raiquen argued loudly while Begonia looked as if she'd been slapped. Lear shook her head and raised her voice.

"Forget about it, it's too dangerous! And you two can't turn from animal to human like we can!" Her sister placed Raiquen by her side and looked stern.

"Lear, we MUST come. There's...there's something here that I have to do." Link turned at this and Midna glared suspiciously. Lear set her jaw.

"Fine. While you're with us, you'll do exactly as I say, understand? One little slip and you're outta there."

They nodded and looked towards the black wall. The portal had been created, and it was waiting for them. Raiquen glanced at his mother. She stared at the wall with an anxious fear. Would they be able find _him?_ As she closed her eyes, the group disintegrated into the twilight.

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Please review, if you have time. We would appreciate it greatly!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Zelda characters, as they belong to Nintendo. **

**I do however own Begonia and Raiquen. My writing partner (Clairictures) owns Lear.**

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The twilight world was just as Midna said. It had a serene beauty, and the colors were calm. Even though in appearance it looked beautiful, they knew that an evil lay within. Begonia was frantic. _'Where is he? I can't sense him!' _she thought to herself. The only dark power she could sense was that of Zant.

Midna appeared freely now and led the way. She could also feel Zant's presence, and anger boiled up inside of her as she viewed her kingdom's ruined state. He would now get what he deserved. She floated ahead and gazed at her people in sadness. Link walked over to one, which looked at him through cloudy eyes and muttered weakly.

"How do we save them?" He said quietly while turning to Midna with a hard look.

"We have to restore the light to your sword. Hurry, this way." She flew off while the group ran after her. They entered a door in the nearest wing of the palace and found dark creatures patrolling the room.

"You, shadow-girl! Due to the large amount of creatures here, I may need you to help me pin them down." Midna said, Lear was about to retort when she spoke again. "Once we do that, you and Link will take them out. As for the boy..." Raiquen grinned, hoping to receive orders. "...stay here." He let out a huff and leaned against the wall. Begonia kept her ground and held out her hands. Her shadow formed into large hands that mirrored her movements. Midna floated near by and using her hair, they both pinned down as many creatures as they could, fighting against the creatures who struggled to get up.

"Go, now!"

Link and Lear sprang into action, cutting down the creatures that screamed in protest. Lear ran to one that lay thrashing in the shadows and leaped at it. She became a wolf in mid-jump and stood on her four legs blinking in shock.

"You're standing in a cloud of Twilight, so you've become a beast again!" Midna shouted from across the room. "It's no different from before, so take him out!" Lear turned and attacked the creature with her jaws, and before long the room was rid of the monsters. Link sheathed the Master Sword and stood looking into the cloud of Twilight that had engulfed Lear.

"How is it in there?" She cocked her head to one side and let her tongue hang out of her muzzle.

"Not bad." She said with a smile and turned to the others.

"You know, I could've fought too!" Raiquen said as Link and Lear approached them. "No" simultaneously came from Begonia and Midna.

"In the next room, will lay the sol. It is our source of light in this realm. However, because of the cloud of twilight over there, you two will have to remain here." Lear shook her head.

"No, I'm not going to allow that!" a gust of wind blew the cloud aside. "They can come with us now." Midna rolled her eyes and led them to the next room. A large orb of light lit the room, and it lay in the grasp of a statue hand. Link approached it without a thought and took it, walking back to the group.

"That was easy...what?" Link stared at Raiquen, whom was frightened and pointed behind Link.

He turned to see the hand spring to life with a crack and floated in the air. It glided towards them, fingers searching for its treasure, and Link whipped back around.

"Run!" The party turned on their heels and ran for the exit, panting as they sprinted. The hand emitted an un-earthly sound, and they could hear it growing nearer as they ran faster. The door was just in sight as the hand's shadow loomed over Link and prepared to fall. A twinge was heard as Lear released her arrow, striking the creature right in the palm. It froze and they held their breath.

"Move! It won't stay immobilized for long!" Midna cried, and the group began their run again. They dashed through the exit and slumped outside, huffing to catch their breath.

"Okay…what…the heck was that?" Raiquen asked, still getting over his shock.

"That was a sol guardian. They didn't have any life in them…until Zant took over." Midna scoffed. The group left the west wing all together and placed the sol into its rightful place. They had one more to find, and it was in the east wing. It looked almost identical to its opposite, and the trial was the same. With great cooperation, they rid of the beasts and entered the room of the sol. This time, they were prepared for the sol guardian to awaken, and once Link grabbed the sol, he tossed it to Lear. "Go!" he yelled as he whipped out his bow. The guardian was stronger than the last, and so it took more arrows to stun it. Once again, they dashed through the exit, slumping over to catch their breath.

They approached the second Sol pedestal and Lear gingerly placed the Sol in its place. Link stood and the group watched in awe as light flooded the Master Sword in his hands.

"The power of light is now in your hands, Link. Now you can defeat the darkness that reigns this land once and for all!" Midna spoke quietly. Link now led the group as they traveled deeper into the palace's dark grounds. Every once in a while, they'd hit a patch of Twilight and two wolves would run through the midst of it. Then the darkness would disperse, and they continued on.

Begonia grew more skittish as time went by, and Lear took notice of it. Her sister glanced behind them and around every corner, hoping to see something that Lear didn't know of. She suddenly had a thought at the back of her mind that made her stop in her tracks. Raiquen ran smack into her, causing them both to tumble to the ground.

"Wha...?" He said, rubbing his bruised elbow. Lear's funny hat had slid to one side of her face, and Link corrected it for her and helped her up.

"What's the matter?" Lear held one arm in her other and rubbed it to ease the pain.

"I just had a sudden spook. Sorry, Raiquen..." She muttered.

"Are you two alright? That was quite the collision..." Begonia said to them, lightly grasping their injured elbows. The pain disappeared at Begonia's touch, and Lear looked her sister in shock.

"Begonia, your face is white!" Begonia looked around nervously, then back to her sister.

"I-I can sense a shadow presence...but it doesn't make sense! It feels like Zant is everywhere, watching us." Begonia whispered. Midna could sense this also, but she knew it was only a trick, to try and lead them away from the throne room. They resumed their steps at a quick pace, Link and Midna leading the way.

As they ran through a corridor, a giant figure shaped as Zant's helmet appeared, blocking their way.

"What the giant Zant-head??" Raiquen exclaimed.

"Ah, so this is the little trick he's been playing." Midna mused.

Link rolled his eyes and quickly attacked the Phantom Zant head. It proved easy and was defeated in no time. Lear walked up to him as he held his sword to shine into the shadows.

"This is ridiculous; we don't have time for it!" Midna nodded angrily, but spoke in a hurry. "The throne-room is just ahead! Hurry!" They followed her urgent request and ran towards the door at the opposite end of the passage. Link shoved the door open and held it for the rest of the group to run inside. Begonia hesitated, but followed her son as he sprinted inside. The usurper King sat upon the throne of the twilight realm.

"Isn't this ironic? We're here because of that curse you placed on us!" Midna mocked. Zant stood from the throne, his helmet began to open and unfold, revealing his entire face.

"Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of events untold. The people of our tribe were locked away in this world. In the shadows we regressed...it was the fault of the do-nothing royal family!" He said, now twisting his body in anger. Begonia flinched; she knew he spoke of the Gerudos. They looked on as the man began pounding the floor in a tantrum.

"I may have given you my heart, but my anger grew with every day, my impudent princess."

Begonia stepped forward, but was stopped by Raiquen.

"It's not her fault! It's mine…it's my fault your people were banished!" she cried out. Zant turned to her, lips curled into a snarl.

"This has nothing to do with you!" With a wave of his arm, a blast of shadow magic flew at them. Begonia and Raiquen disappeared, causing great alarm.

"You stupid bastard! What did you do?!" Midna screamed. Link and Lear were furious, and completely ready to attack at any moment.

"Why, I sent them away! They are no longer in this realm!"

"Send them back!" Lear screamed, brandishing her sword. Zant merely laughed and raised into the air.

"If you want them so badly, come and get them..." The entire room dissolved and the group found themselves in the Forest Temple. Midna called out as the two as they ran towards Zant, swords raised.

Zant jumped onto a tall column, hopping from one to the next. He suddenly stopped to throw magic at them and Link, knowing what to do, rammed into the column. Zant lost his balance and landed on his face, stunned. Both attacked with great fury until Zant disappeared into the air. The room dissolved once again, and the group found themselves in the Fire Temple.

"Defeat him just as before!" Midna screamed above the heat of the room and the confusion of battle. Lear used her water power more than once to help in the fray, and before long they hit down Zant once again. The process continued with the battle raging across The Lakebed Temple and Yeta's bedroom. Once that icy encounter was finished, the room dissolved one last time and the battle found itself outside of Castle Town. As furious as Link and Lear were, they were no where near as angry as Zant.

"I'm warning you, Zant! Give them back!" Link yelled. Zant now wielded two swords, waving them furiously in the air. His only response was a violent attack, roaring with vengeance. Both Link and Lear fought with great strength, demanding the return of Begonia and Raiquen.

"You must attack him when he stops spinning!" Midna screamed. Once Zant became dizzy, Link and Lear both sliced their swords, taking him out. With a flash, the world around them seemed to disappear, revealing the throne room in the twilight palace once again. Link and Lear stood panting and poised for another attack, when Midna's power was restored to her and she glared down at the weeping figure below her.

"You're pathetic, Zant. No amount of power can change that, from this or any world." Zant, not hidden beneath his helmet, slowly brought his head up.

"W-we…could've ruled together…Midna." Power began to surge through Midna's body; she stared into her former lover's eyes, the eyes that once glowed with kindness.

"I…still love you…and even if you kill me, my god will bring me back!" he wailed, losing his sanity. Link and Lear looked away as Midna's power overtook her. In an instant, her hair became a large hand, quaking with immense strength. It impaled Zant directly in the chest. He disappeared as a tear escaped Midna's eye.

Link turned to her as she bent her head. "Let's go..." was all she said, and she disappeared into his shadow once more. The group left the chamber and journeyed back to the entrance of the light realm.

Lear stopped at the shining portal and asked in a weak voice, "But what about Begonia and Raiquen?"

Midna's voice echoed around them, more husky than normal. "They're not here, I'd sense them. Go."

Link grabbed Lear's hand gently and led her through the portal, where the light grew strong. When they uncovered their eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on their faces, Midna's voice came again.

"Zant was a coward. He relied on Ganondorf's power to help him try to gain some of his own. In the end, he was destroyed by it. Now Ganondorf believes that he can reign this world, Link. He's waiting for you at Hyrule Castle to try and stop him."

Lear's mind swam in circles. Could it really be true? Is he waiting for them? What about Begonia and Raiquen?

"Link…I want to find Begonia and Raiquen before we go." Concern was written all over Lear's face, and Link brought her close to him.

"I know. I want to find them too, but that might only make things worse." Link said quietly. He took her by the hand and they left the mirror of twilight. Only time will tell what will happen now.

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The two heroes stood outside the castle gates in the pouring rain. "Lear, if anything were to happen to you..." Link said, looking up at the spires towering above them.

"I feel the same. We keep each other safe. And if anything does happen..." Her voice trailed off, not knowing what to say without lying to herself. But he nodded his head and together they drew their swords and ran through the castle gates. The grounds were misty with the rain and enemies haunted shady corners and shadowy crevices. The two did their best to dodge these monsters and made their way over to the castle door. Link shoved it open and ushered Lear inside while looking around them for any sign of danger. Then he shut the door and shook the rain from his hair as they walked into the grand chamber.

"Wow..." Lear breathed. The inside of the castle was magnificent. The only light source were the candelabras that glowed upon the walls. They quickly maneuvered through the hallways, fighting beasts that wandered the halls. As they entered a dark room, they found large holes in the ground. Link walked to the edge and looked at the distance they would have to jump.

"Hm, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad? You're joking, right?" Link shook his head and jumped across. He turned around to her. "Well, c'mon on!"

Lear gaped at him. "You've got excellent balance and strength. And you're tall. I'm short." She walked slowly to the edge and looked down.

"Height has nothing to do with it. And you're stalling." Midna appeared. "Are you afraid, Lear? Just jump across and then we'll have a homicidal evil king to battle. A little ledge is really nothing once you think of the whole scheme of things right now." Link laughed behind his hand while Lear glared. He cleared his throat.

"Here, I'll catch you. You can do it, let's go!" She exhaled and backed up for a running jump. She leaped and her foot landed on solid ground, but it slid out from underneath her on the uneven edge. She cried out but felt Link's arms catch around her and drag her back onto the platform.

"Now, how about that scheme?" Midna mocked. Link rolled his eyes as he helped Lear up to her feet. They resumed their adventure in a run, up many flights of stairs and through long hallways. They came to a complete halt as they ran into a large armored man. The Darknut roared, Link and Lear ducked just before it swung its giant sword in their direction.

"Lear, are you alright?"

"Yeah...Link, WATCH OUT!" Link rolled out of the way again and brandished his blade. This enemy was the toughest in the castle so far, and it blocked the large door that most likely led straight to Ganondorf. They circled each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

The Darknut swung it's sword heavily through the air as Link leaped. He landed nimbly on the monster's outstretched arm and jumped again, bringing his sword crashing down onto the Darknut's head. As the giant began to sway and fall, Link leaped off and landed next to Lear.

"See there? No problem..." But he was leaning on his sword and trying to catch his breath. Lear raised an eyebrow at him and waited for him to recover before they both turned towards the large ornate doors before them.

"The fate of Hyrule rests on your shoulders. Let's do this!" Midna's voice was heard as she appeared next to the two. Link and Lear looked into each other's eyes for a few moments before they both faced their destiny and heaved the doors open.

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A/N: Only two (maybe three) more chapters to go!! We're finally coming to a close of this sequal...and guess what? Clairictures and I might write another part of the story, turning "Sands of Destiny" into a trilogy...and we're excited about the possibility! XD

Please review!!


	16. Chapter 16

Thunder clapped in the sky as they entered the large archway of the throne room. Their eyes traced the long red carpet to where it ended at the throne. Ganondorf sat in the throne with his chin resting on his hand, smirking. Lear's heart pounded in her chest, angry with this man before her.

"Ganondorf." Midna said with disdain. With a laugh, he stood from the throne, the scar shining brightly upon his chest.

"If it isn't Link, Midna and..._Lear._ Welcome to my castle." his deep voice spoke. Lear glared with intensity, her hatred was still pure for this man. Link's voice was also thick with abhorrence as he spoke, but it was calm and steady.

"Step down, Ganondorf." The man laughed again, and it echoed around them.

"Or what, kid? You'll 'make me'? You two can no more make me a fairy princess." He laughed louder again. Then he was deadly serious. "I've wasted enough time with you, Link." He spat the name.

"Where is Begonia?" Lear asked, trying to stay calm and hoping he didn't know about Raiquen. Somehow, she knew that Ganondorf would have the answer.

"_My wife and my son_ are safe. I found them unconscious…how does this matter to you? You didn't even bother to look for them." He spoke with anger on the tip of his tongue. Midna's reply was a sharp one.

"And I suppose you've been looking for them all of these years while playing with your puppet Zant? You did nothing but stand by and watch them through another's eyes. You're more cowardly than I thought..." Ganondorf's anger was apparent and terrifying as he stood. His voice was calm but threatening.

"Shadow has been moved by light it would seem...how amusing."

Without another word, he wore a malicious grin as he gestured his hand towards the sleeping figure above him. The Princess Zelda, lifeless and cold, yet held her beauty still. Midna gasped and flew up to her friend, guarding her with her own body.

"You wish to defy me?" he laughed. His body dissolved into twilight particles into the air, rushing directly through Midna, and into his new puppet. Link and Lear watched helplessly, they didn't know what they could do. Midna whipped around and threatened to attack Zelda's body with her fist, but she couldn't. Suddenly Zelda's eyes shot open, throwing Midna outside of the throne room.

She rose into the air, no longer herself but another one of Ganondorf's puppets, and raised her sword. The Triforce appeared below the Link and Lear's feet and they stared at it in confusion. Navi flew in between them and ran into each of them hard on the head.

"Get out of this, it's an attack! Zelda's controlled by evil now, and there's no stopping her from killing either of you!!" Link grabbed Lear's arm and pulled her out of the Triforce just as Zelda swung her sword.

"Link, I can't! I can't attack her!" Lear shouted desperately. He kept his eyes on the puppet floating before them.

"I know, Lear, I can't either! But... perhaps we won't have to!" He said it as Zelda raised her sword and summoned a energy ball. She cast it down at the two and Link struck just as it bore down on them.

It bounced back towards Zelda at a much faster speed. It took her off guard and hit her, electrocuting Ganondorf from within the puppet. Ganondorf's groan of pain came from Zelda's mouth, then he became angry. It merely seemed as a game to him, watching Link and Lear run for their lives, and desperately striking the balls of energy he threw at them. For one final time, Zelda raised her sword and summoned an energy ball, much larger than the last. She cast it down at the two once again, and both Link and Lear struck it back at her. The puppet Zelda fell to the ground as she was hit by the energy ball, twitching and trying to get up. Link and Lear looked to find that Midna had awakened, and she used the fused shadows to purify Zelda of the evil.

Zelda blinked and looked around as though in a daze. Link started to run over to her, but this was only the beginning for Ganondorf. He appeared between the Hero and Princess with a look of pure abhorrence in his eyes. He held his right hand in the air and the Triforce of Power burned brightly on his fist before he began to transform. When the group next looked up, a hideous pig-monster stood snorting before them. It was huge and it stomped its hooves in rage as it charged full speed at Link and the others.

Link and Lear whipped around in a run, quickly hiding behind a large column. They only had a matter of seconds before Ganon sniffed them out. As they heard the sounds of giant hooves heading in their direction, they quickly transformed into their animal forms and ran out of the way. The game of a deadly chase pursued them. Suddenly Midna appeared at Zelda's side, shaking her out of her daze.

"Zelda! I'm going to transport you out of here. I know where Begonia and Raiquen are, and they need to go with you. Promise me that you'll watch them, for Lear's sake?" Zelda nodded without question and by Midna's power, she dissolved into twilight. When she reappeared outside of the gates of the market, she found the figures of Begonia and Raiquen, still unconscious.

Link dashed to the side as the roaring monster charged him down again. He began to pant and whip his head from side to side in an attempt to watch Ganon's unpredictable movements. The beast ran through another portal and disappeared, although they could still hear it stomping and snorting. Lear ran to Link's side as Midna appeared and sat on his back, pulling his ears towards her.

"Link, I can wrestle him to the ground when he charges. If you can attack the scar on his belly after that, we can defeat this pig!" She turned to Lear as Link nodded and continued to look for the monster running around where they couldn't see.

"Lear, you need to stay behind us. You can help Link attack as soon as I wrestle Ganon to the ground." Lear's ear flicked and she nodded her muzzle.

The air in the room was tense as they looked around. Fake portals opened and closed, and Ganon was toying with them. When Link turned his head, Ganon ran out of a portal directly behind him, charging him down. Midna caught him by the horns with her large twili hand.

"C'mon, Midna! You can do it!" Lear barked. Ganon roared and pushed against Midna, only to be thrown aside. Link and Lear leaped at the opportunity to attack the scar, ripping and tearing away at roaring beast.

The both leaped away as the pig monster struggled and slowly stood. It turned its heavy head towards them and roared again that changed to a scream of rage as Ganondorf transformed back into his original self. Link already stood as a human beside Lear and she changed back as Midna spoke again.

"You two have done your part. He's weak enough for me to take it from here. There's no time for goodbyes..." And with that, She floated between Ganondorf and the two heroes. Lear turned to see Link look from Midna to the Dark Lord and back again as he began to run towards her.

"Midna, don't! Don't do it!" But they'd already started to dissolve into Twilight particles. Lear caught a last glimpse of Midna with a remorseful expression on her face as she turned towards Ganondorf. When she opened her eyes again, Link stood beside her in the rain and staring up at the castle. He took a step towards it when they both jumped violently and Lear screamed as the tower exploded.

Ganondorf rode his steed through the smoke of the explosion, Midna's helmet in hand. "Come, Kivuli. This battle is not over!" Kivuli reared up on his hind legs and Ganondorf crushed the helmet in his hand. With a loud laugh, he spurred Kivuli forward. Link and Lear couldn't believe their eyes. They stared him down as he galloped towards them. Suddenly a single light arrow pierced through the air, knocking Ganondorf off of his horse. When they looked in the direction of the arrow's origin, they saw Zelda running towards them.

"Link, Lear, this is where your destinies reveal themselves. I've known about you for quite some time, as my ancestor was the one who sent you forward to the future. It all comes down to this; now's the time to defeat the evil that has plagued us for so long! Good luck, heroes-the fate of Hyrule rests on your shoulders!" She looked much older than usual as she gazed at them. Link turned to Lear and she nodded, following him as he drew the Master Sword and ran towards Ganondorf. The Dark Lord stood and laughed darkly as they stood before him, swords drawn.

"Two against one? Now that's hardly fair..." He chuckled evilly again and drew his own swords in a flash. All amusement was gone from his face, replaced by a dark will for revenge, as he leaped at the two and began to slash at them with the force of the Triforce of Power.

Ganondorf swung with amazing speed. He was almost unstoppable, and blocked every attempt that Link and Lear had.

"Why are you doing this?" Link said between clashes. Ganondorf kicked him in the stomach and knocked Lear aside. "You do not know the feeling of losing your people and your family." He pointed his sword at Link's neck. "You Hylians don't deserve the freedom my people never had. And now…I will get my revenge." he spoke darkly. Lear blocked his attack with her sword, allowing Link to regain his footing. The Dark Lord roared in anger and Lear was thrown to the ground by his dark power.

He turned on her and raised his sword, bringing it down hard. She rolled just as the sword struck through her arm, hitting the spot where her heart had been moments before. She screamed out in pain and used her right arm to thrust her shield with all her strength into Ganondorf's face, making him grunt in pain and step back while drawing his weapon from her bleeding arm. Her head swam with pain as she rolled away again and struggled to get to her feet. Link stepped between her and the Dark Lord and she watched as they waited for the other to make a move. Suddenly Ganondorf ran at Link, and the hero held out his sword and caught the attacker's force. The two were now locked in a deadly match of strength as they pushed against their weapons and tried to weaken the other.

"I know what your weakness is, Ganondorf." Link said with strain in his voice, pushing with all his might against Ganondorf's blade.

He laughed darkly, "I have no weakness, boy." Link looked to the far distance where Begonia was and looked back into the eyes of the Dark Lord.

"…Begonia." he said quietly.

Suddenly, Ganondorf looked in the direction that Link had, thinking that Begonia had awoken. Link threw him to the ground and pointed the master sword at his neck. For a moment, their eyes met in a stare, and Link almost hesitated to finish him off. He jumped into the air and impaled Ganondorf directly through his chest.

Link backed away from Ganondorf as he let out a painful yell. He stood next to Lear and Zelda, watching Ganondorf clumsily stand to his feet.

"T-this isn't o-over yet…" he closed his eyes and opened them again. "The…history of light and shadow…will be written…b-be written…" Link looked away, he couldn't watch a man die before his eyes, even if he was evil. Ganondorf looked at the triforce on his hand. Its light flickered slightly, then the mark disappeared completely, the pain in his chest increased tenfold. Tears began to water his eyes and he began to hallucinate. He imagined Begonia running to him, and he reached for her.

"B-begonia…I-I…" he whispered. Suddenly another wave of pain hit him. He closed his eyes and fell to the floor.

The small group stood in silence as the rain slowed to a stop and the sun broke through golden clouds. Lear held her bleeding arm and stared at the grass beneath her feet as the tears rolled down her eyes. They'd done it, they'd finally done it. They'd defeated the evil that had threatened Hyrule for so long. But Midna...she put her free hand to her mouth and stifled a sob. Link raised his head slowly and looked across the horizon at the coming twilight. Suddenly, he spoke and pointed to the hill-top before them.

"What's that?" His voice sounded cracked and tired, but there was a hope in it that made the others look up to follow his gaze. A figure was struggling to stand, and it stood black against the amber sky.

* * *

Two pairs of eyes opened slowly, looking around at their surroundings. Begonia suddenly shot up and looked at her son, whom was rubbing his eyes. "Raiquen! H-he's here!" His eyes widened and the two broke out into a run. In the distance they saw three people running towards a figure, leaving behind someone on the ground. Her heart raced. She just knew it was her husband, and as she came close enough to see him, she screamed his name. They collapsed at Ganondorf's sides and Raiquen was already crying.

"N-no! NO!" she cried, pulling the blade from his chest. Raiquen looked upon his father, for the first time in his life. This seemed too incredulous for him, and he was a loss at words. His mother brought Ganondorf's hand to her cheek and cried.

The motionless body began to shift and groan. "…Begonia." he croaked. His eyes slowly opened.

"I'm here! I'm here…don't leave us…"

"I-I'm…sorry…I only wanted to be with you…and m-my s…son. Raiquen…"

"Father...Please! Don't go!"

Ganondorf only smiled sadly and coughed painfully. "I'm happy that I got the chance…to see you…one…l-last t-time…" Begonia kissed him as tears fell, she could not speak.

Ganondorf passed away in Begonia's arms. The two cried in silence, and stood in such a manner. It was now time to say their goodbyes, and perform the ceremony of passing. Begonia removed the cape from her husband, and they stood on each side of him with their arms outstretched. Shadow and fire mixed together, engulfing Ganondorf in the midst of it. When the magic dispersed, he was gone.

Link, Lear, and Zelda didn't notice the ceremony that had been performed behind them. They were lost in the hope and wonder of who now stood before them in the setting sun. The figure rose tall and slender and blinked as she looked down at her hands in wonder. She turned around and faced the small group walking towards her, panting from the running but smiles on their faces.

"Hello, Link..." Midna spoke with a smile on her own face. He laughed slightly and smiled wider. "Well, what are you all staring at? Did you think I'd always be a little imp?" Cocking her head and rolling her eyes, they now knew for sure that this was the Midna they'd known. "...Say something!" Lear laughed slightly as Zelda smiled and Link spoke.

"We just...really missed you, Midna! Welcome back!"

Midna smiled. "Yes…and the evil is finally gone." She said as she looked towards Begonia and Raiquen. The two were both on their knees, hugging and crying. A slight shadowed smoke lingered in the air next to them. When Lear looked at them, she tried to call out their names. No words came. She watched as her family disappeared into her sister's shadow. It was difficult to imagine their pain, and the group stood in silence until Midna spoke.

"Dear friends…it is time for me to return to my kingdom." With a wave of her arm, the group disintegrated into twilight particles, transporting through twilight magic for the last time.

When they opened their eyes, they all stood in the Mirror Chamber. Link stared at the mirror and back at Midna, unsure of how to say goodbye to such a friend. Lear felt the tears flood her eyes again and rubbed her nose as it prickled from the emotion. Zelda stood solemnly behind the two and nodded slowly as Midna turned the group.

"At first I used you to save my kingdom. I was selfish; I didn't care what happened to your realm. But as I saw the sacrifices that you were willing to give to save not only your own world, but mine as well...I couldn't allow the darkness to cover your land. Link, Lear, Zelda...thank-you for saving my realm. And I am happy that I was able to aid you in saving your own." She turned to Link and gazed at him with a broken expression.

"Our worlds will still meet as the Twilight falls upon your realm each day. I hope..." The tears were coming to her eyes now. "...I hope we will meet again." With that, she caught a tear on her finger and placed it on the mirror. She turned back to the group again and stared at them for a moment, then smiled and ran up the glowing staircase into her realm. As soon as she reached the Twilight Portal, the mirror cracked and shattered to the ground.

Many tears were shed at their farewell, after Midna had left. Lear let out all of her pent up emotions in the form of tears as Link held her close. Zelda too, allowed a stray tear run free and she bowed her head. Minutes later, the heroes left the mirror chamber. Link and Lear acted as Zelda's temporary escorts, traveling back to Hyrule castle town. Link walked beside Epona, leading her by the reigns while the two women rode the horse. Even as they traveled through the desert, Lear noticed, there was no sign of her sister and nephew. She tried not to let it bother her, however, as she knew that wherever they were, they would find each other again someday.

Until then and forever more, she would bask in the happiness that Link brought her.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading!! And please forgive me for the long wait. School got in the way. DX

Anyway, All that's left is the epilogue!

(And, part 3 of this trilogy is underway...by the way... XD)


	17. Chapter 17 Epilogue

Three months ago, Link and Lear said their farewells to a dear friend. The blade of evil's bane was put to rest, and they now traveled the land, helping rebuild the kingdom of Hyrule. They had been married shortly after the final battle against evil had been won, and had never been happier. Zelda had appointed them members of the Hyrule Guard, and they would spend days at the castle as her exclusive friends and advisors. Hyrule was becoming whole again, and the evil that had haunted their beautiful kingdom diminished more each day as the monsters and darkness disappeared. Life was good and safe once again, and light flooded the kingdom. There was a certain bittersweet happiness that came with the twilight that fell each night, and they would sit together hand-in-hand and feel the presence of their never-forgotten friend Midna. The hope that they would meet again still filled their hearts. Often times, when traveling near the endless deserts, Lear would turn her head to the wind and try to gain the knowledge of her remaining family.

One morning, the couple set out for a day of fishing at the river by the castle. They spent hours together, talking and enjoying each other's company. A beautiful falcon perched itself onto a branch nearby, and the moment they set their eyes upon it, they recognized it with smiles on their faces.

"Do you think they're nearby?" Lear asked with a hopeful look etched across her features.

"Let's hope they are..." Link replied, turning his head as Fia flew away.

Several nights later, they rode together across the line dividing the desert from the lush green expanse that was Hyrule field. Link slowed Epona as he spotted two figures in the distance framed by the countless numbers of stars.

"Lear, look..." Lear felt the wind lightly touch her face as she stared at her family in the distance.

Begonia and Raiquen lived in a small hut, and they sat by a campfire. Raiquen always wore his father's cape, and it was loosely tied around his neck. He would often send his hawk to fly beyond the reaches of the desert to bring him something back from the land of Hyrule. His favorite had been a bright blue flower that looked as if the sky itself had been painted into it. Little did he know, however, that flower had come directly from the Hyrule Castle garden. It was a flower that his aunt had grown, and its bright color came from the love that she gave.

He would still hear her voice in the fire at times when the wind blew through it. He was never angry at her or Link for killing his father; he knew what had to be done and what was inevitable. He found himself each day wishing that they would meet again and stay together as a family. His father's presence was always with them; sometimes his fire would cast a shadow in the shape of his father. Could his mind be playing tricks on him? Perhaps his father could return from the shadows, in the fire's casting. Raiquen always let his mind daydream about the impossible.

"Raiquen?" Begonia sat next to her son and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Is everything alright? You were staring at nothing." He blinked a couple of times and sighed quietly.

"Oh...yeah, everything's fine. I was just...thinking about the past. It seemed like just yesterday that all of our adventures had started, and now it's already over."

"I know…but all adventures have their endings." She said quietly, then continued. "Come, Raiquen, I want to show you something."

She pulled her son to his feet when she stood, and led him away from their campsite. They walked in silence, listening to the sounds of the wind and their feet on the sand. When they stopped walking, they stood on the mount of a sand dune in complete darkness.

"Raiquen, the other night I looked to the sky...I found a new constellation." Begonia said as she gazed at the stars. Raiquen followed her gaze until he found a new picture that he knew was not there before.

"There…" Begonia pointed towards the sky. "…that, is your father's constellation."

Raiquen's eyes went wide and he looked at his mother. "Really??"

Begonia nodded. "Yes…but it's not finished. It's only part of it." Begonia said as she lifted her right sleeve. Raiquen looked at the marking on her shoulder, then back to the sky.

"But, it's the same…I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. I never told you. When two people perform the glaicien marriage dance, their own mark is burned into their shoulders. Your father had the same symbol." Begonia let down her sleeve and smiled at her son.

"Someday, when I pass on, the constellation will be complete."

Moments passed, and Raiquen broke the silence. "Will we ever get to see him again?" Begonia wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders as they ventured back to their campsite.

"...that, I do not know. But I do know this: He will always be in our dreams. We just have to look for him!" Raiquen smiled to himself. He knew anything was possible when you dreamed, and that thought only made him more confident. As they climbed over one more sand dune, the warmth of the campfire came upon their skin and Begonia felt the presence of her sister nearby.

Lear grinned as her sister and nephew came walking towards the campsite. Raiquen glanced up and did a double-take.

"Lear!!" He shouted and ran towards his aunt. She grasped him in a tight hug and laughed as her sister caught up and also gave her a hug.

"It's wonderful to see you, Lear! But where's...?"

Raiquen shouted with joy as a familiar face appeared behind his aunt. "LINK!" He yelled and tackled him to the ground with a bounding hug. Link ruffled his hair and helped him up with a laugh.

"Raiquen! How have you been? Have you been taking care of your mother?" Begonia smiled at him and crossed her arms.

Link turned towards Begonia, making eye contact with her, and without words he pulled her into a hug. Lear smiled.

"Thank you..." Begonia whispered. Link raised an eyebrow as they let go.

"For what?"

Her response was only another smile, "For saving him." It took a moment for Link to realize who she was talking about, but when he did, he nodded.

"HEY!! How about you guys hang out with us tonight? We can tell stories!" Raiquen suddenly burst out.

"I think," Lear said while resting her arm on Link's shoulder, "that is an excellent plan." Raiquen grinned and felt more happy than he had in a long time. They gathered around the campfire as Begonia threw on more wood and the flames danced higher. Raiquen sat near Link as the family talked to each other and caught up on all that had happened since they'd separated.

"Link, are you still adventuring? 'Cause if you are, you know I can help..." Raiquen said with a grin.

"Actually, things have calmed down quite a bit." Raiquen frowned and Link continued. "We are, however, members of the Royal Guard! And we live in the Castle now." Begonia nodded with approval as Raiquen sat there with his mouth agape.

"So now you're royalty?? Does that mean we're royalty too?"

Link laughed. "Well, not exactly, I suppose we just...protect royalty." Raiquen was more excited than ever.

"So you're like a knight? Wow! I can help you, Link!" Link considered this as Begonia turned to Lear and shrugged with a sigh. "I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm sure the princess would be happy to have you come and visit every once in a while!" He chuckled. Lear stretched her feet out. "And we would too!" Raiquen turned towards his mom.

"C'mon, mom! Let's visit the castle! And I'm sure you'd like to go shopping at the marketplace for a while, hmm?" Begonia laughed and rolled her eyes. "You've got me there, son. We'll be sure to visit!"

More smiles and laughs were shared around the fire and Raiquen began creating animals in the blaze. The family enjoyed each other's company late into the night, telling stories like Lear and Begonia used to do with their family many years ago. Their festivities ended with the final snap and crackle of the campfire, and as the morning sun began to rise. Once again, the family separated, but never forever.

They would always have their family beneath the amber sky of the morning.

The End.

* * *

A/N: Thank you SO much for reading!! Clairictures and I thoroughly enjoyed writing this story, and we've already begun the final installment in the "Sands of Destiny" trilogy.

Please read "Hours of Darkness"! Thank you!

And thank you, all of you who sent in reviews! We appreciate it more than you think.


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